<< >> NASA ASRS Report 450259, September 1999

Instructor pilot took over control of aircraft and made an emergency landing off airport after engine began losing power on initial climb after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	450259
Time
Date	199909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bjc.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 250
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bjc.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 1100
ASRS Report	450259
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine loss of power other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

PIC observed takeoff, engine sounded normal. At 250 ft AGL, engine ran rough. PIC enriched mixture with no improvement in performance. PIC determined that a field 90 degrees east of takeoff runway may be only option. After successful emergency landing, PIC thought about mixture control setting. Although setting was not full rich, PIC believed aircraft should have still developed climb performance. Note: aircraft has history of erratic RPM drop and 2 emergency lndgs (on runway) have occurred within last 30 days. PIC believes in retrospect that it's possible aircraft could have landed on remaining runway and is possible that selecting full rich mixture could have thwarted problem. Possible remedy of problem would be amended factory note by manufacturer on using full rich mixture for takeoff followed by leaning at a safe altitude. Recommendation of single engine accelerating-stop and accelerating-go path might be helpful if available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT TOOK OVER CTL OF ACFT AND MADE AN EMER LNDG OFF ARPT AFTER ENG BEGAN LOSING PWR ON INITIAL CLB AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: PIC OBSERVED TKOF, ENG SOUNDED NORMAL. AT 250 FT AGL, ENG RAN ROUGH. PIC ENRICHED MIXTURE WITH NO IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE. PIC DETERMINED THAT A FIELD 90 DEGS E OF TKOF RWY MAY BE ONLY OPTION. AFTER SUCCESSFUL EMER LNDG, PIC THOUGHT ABOUT MIXTURE CTL SETTING. ALTHOUGH SETTING WAS NOT FULL RICH, PIC BELIEVED ACFT SHOULD HAVE STILL DEVELOPED CLB PERFORMANCE. NOTE: ACFT HAS HISTORY OF ERRATIC RPM DROP AND 2 EMER LNDGS (ON RWY) HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN LAST 30 DAYS. PIC BELIEVES IN RETROSPECT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE ACFT COULD HAVE LANDED ON REMAINING RWY AND IS POSSIBLE THAT SELECTING FULL RICH MIXTURE COULD HAVE THWARTED PROB. POSSIBLE REMEDY OF PROB WOULD BE AMENDED FACTORY NOTE BY MANUFACTURER ON USING FULL RICH MIXTURE FOR TKOF FOLLOWED BY LEANING AT A SAFE ALT. RECOMMENDATION OF SINGLE ENG ACCELERATING-STOP AND ACCELERATING-GO PATH MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF AVAILABLE.

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.