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Private pilot of a piper PA28-140 landed unknowingly at a military base when making a night precautionary landing due to low fuel supply.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 455866 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : wri.airport |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : tmb.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 455866 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical airspace violation : entry incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departed bader field, atlantic city, nj, believing my fuel adequate to reach our destination solberg-hunterdon airport (N51). After flying for approximately 15 mins, realized that fuel gauge was going down very fast! We saw the lights of an airport, but didn't identify it because our sectional chart had slipped under the seat. Thus we could not call for landing clearance. However, we were forced to land due to critical fuel. After landing, we were told it was mcguire AFB. This incident would not have occurred if more fuel had been on board and we shouldn't have departed without having the proper chart in hand. It has since been discovered that the fuel selector switch leaks profusely when set on the left tank, which was in use for that leg of flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA28-140 LANDED UNKNOWINGLY AT A MIL BASE WHEN MAKING A NIGHT PRECAUTIONARY LNDG DUE TO LOW FUEL SUPPLY.
Narrative: DEPARTED BADER FIELD, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, BELIEVING MY FUEL ADEQUATE TO REACH OUR DEST SOLBERG-HUNTERDON ARPT (N51). AFTER FLYING FOR APPROX 15 MINS, REALIZED THAT FUEL GAUGE WAS GOING DOWN VERY FAST! WE SAW THE LIGHTS OF AN ARPT, BUT DIDN'T IDENT IT BECAUSE OUR SECTIONAL CHART HAD SLIPPED UNDER THE SEAT. THUS WE COULD NOT CALL FOR LNDG CLRNC. HOWEVER, WE WERE FORCED TO LAND DUE TO CRITICAL FUEL. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE TOLD IT WAS MCGUIRE AFB. THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF MORE FUEL HAD BEEN ON BOARD AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DEPARTED WITHOUT HAVING THE PROPER CHART IN HAND. IT HAS SINCE BEEN DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH LEAKS PROFUSELY WHEN SET ON THE L TANK, WHICH WAS IN USE FOR THAT LEG OF FLT.
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.