 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Pilot of an small aircraft landed short of the airport due to the engine quitting during a visual approach. Fuel starvation was the cause and a clogged fuel line vent was suspected of causing the fuel starvation problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 414372 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lzu |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 414372 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After a 15 min aerobatic flight (45 mins of fuel on board) I was returning to the airport to land and the engine sputtered. I called the tower and said I had a fuel system problem. The engine quit and I made an emergency landing in the grass median of highway 316, just short of runway 25. There was about 8 gallons of fuel on board. After taking the plane to the airport, I found the fuel vent line clogged. The emergency landing caused no damage to people or property but I know the FAA will say I ran out of fuel. They did not come to the scene and there was definitely fuel on board. The fuel vent line faces forward into the relative wind. I could not tell what came out when I unclogged it, but I assume I hit something in-flight. There was also no structural damage to the aircraft. Just a broken bolt on the tailwheel and a flat tailwheel tire. According to the FARS, this is not an accident or even an incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN SMA LANDED SHORT OF THE ARPT DUE TO THE ENG QUITTING DURING A VISUAL APCH. FUEL STARVATION WAS THE CAUSE AND A CLOGGED FUEL LINE VENT WAS SUSPECTED OF CAUSING THE FUEL STARVATION PROB.
Narrative: AFTER A 15 MIN AEROBATIC FLT (45 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD) I WAS RETURNING TO THE ARPT TO LAND AND THE ENG SPUTTERED. I CALLED THE TWR AND SAID I HAD A FUEL SYS PROB. THE ENG QUIT AND I MADE AN EMER LNDG IN THE GRASS MEDIAN OF HWY 316, JUST SHORT OF RWY 25. THERE WAS ABOUT 8 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. AFTER TAKING THE PLANE TO THE ARPT, I FOUND THE FUEL VENT LINE CLOGGED. THE EMER LNDG CAUSED NO DAMAGE TO PEOPLE OR PROPERTY BUT I KNOW THE FAA WILL SAY I RAN OUT OF FUEL. THEY DID NOT COME TO THE SCENE AND THERE WAS DEFINITELY FUEL ON BOARD. THE FUEL VENT LINE FACES FORWARD INTO THE RELATIVE WIND. I COULD NOT TELL WHAT CAME OUT WHEN I UNCLOGGED IT, BUT I ASSUME I HIT SOMETHING INFLT. THERE WAS ALSO NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. JUST A BROKEN BOLT ON THE TAILWHEEL AND A FLAT TAILWHEEL TIRE. ACCORDING TO THE FARS, THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN AN INCIDENT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.