Narrative:

Aircraft was full of fuel, as indicated by fuel gauges, and verified by a visual inspection. Flew 0.6 pfn-tlh. Dropped off freight and repositioned for maintenance. Aircraft released with the following repairs: 1) excessive oil leak (tightened line to oil pressure). 2) reattached engine air duct. 3) reattached oil dipstick. 4) wrap tied voltage regulator plug. 5) lubed throttle cable. 6) repaired electric auxiliary fuel boost pump (low side only inoperative). 7) confirmed intermittent alternator, transponder and radios were due to loose voltage regulator connection. Flew 0.7 to tlh-dhn -- experienced no problems. Flew 0.9 dhn-06A -- moton field municipal, tuskegee, en route to eky. Cruise 6000 ft MSL over tge VOR. Engine instruments normal with exception of slightly elevated egt. IAS dropped from approximately 125 KIAS to 70 KIAS. Maintained altitude initially then accepted a 200 ft loss to maintain IAS of 90 KIAS. At this point I requested a ground speed check from approach control came back with readout of 100 KTS. This I believe led them to the conclusion that I was experiencing a fuel exhaustion as opposed to a fuel starvation related emergency because, whey I landed I was referred to as 'the girl that ran out of fuel!' by guard. I descended at an estimated best glide speed and then transitioned to the recommended landing approach speed once landing assured. Looked outside at pitot tube, wings, and horizontal stabilizer to check for ice accumulation, although conditions did not favor ice, and finally rechked engine instruments. Up until this point the engine was running smoothly. Inspection of engine instruments, however, revealed fuel pressure at less than 3.5 psi, and engine started to run rough, with a power drop to 1200 RPM without adjusting throttle. Elected not to adjust throttle or run emergency procedures, specified for the aircraft. Past experience of partial power loss of a similar nature in a normally aspirated piston engine aircraft, have helped me draw the following conclusion. Adjusting power, switching tanks, or running auxiliary boost pumps, may, depending on the circumstances, create further power losses initially before righting or finally restoring the power output. Incidentally, once on the ground and after an extensive run-up, on occasion, the engine generated 1800 RPM, but shut down instantly once the high side of the pump was switched on. The low side was once again inoperative, which may be verified. I immediately declared an emergency to command radio silence, which was a later cause of criticism within the company. At that time, there was an inexperienced pilot stepping all over the frequency. I spoke to columbus approach control, and stated that I had an 'imminent' engine failure. Columbus requested the usual required information, which was provided. I then switched to CTAF, stated my position, intentions, and requested that any local traffic make themselves known. None was reported.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 ATX PLT MAKES AN EMER FORCED LNDG AT TUSKEGEE WHEN THE ENG DOES NOT DEVELOP FULL PWR AT 6000 FT OVER 06A, AL.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FULL OF FUEL, AS INDICATED BY FUEL GAUGES, AND VERIFIED BY A VISUAL INSPECTION. FLEW 0.6 PFN-TLH. DROPPED OFF FREIGHT AND REPOSITIONED FOR MAINT. ACFT RELEASED WITH THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS: 1) EXCESSIVE OIL LEAK (TIGHTENED LINE TO OIL PRESSURE). 2) REATTACHED ENG AIR DUCT. 3) REATTACHED OIL DIPSTICK. 4) WRAP TIED VOLTAGE REGULATOR PLUG. 5) LUBED THROTTLE CABLE. 6) REPAIRED ELECTRIC AUX FUEL BOOST PUMP (LOW SIDE ONLY INOP). 7) CONFIRMED INTERMITTENT ALTERNATOR, XPONDER AND RADIOS WERE DUE TO LOOSE VOLTAGE REGULATOR CONNECTION. FLEW 0.7 TO TLH-DHN -- EXPERIENCED NO PROBS. FLEW 0.9 DHN-06A -- MOTON FIELD MUNICIPAL, TUSKEGEE, ENRTE TO EKY. CRUISE 6000 FT MSL OVER TGE VOR. ENG INSTS NORMAL WITH EXCEPTION OF SLIGHTLY ELEVATED EGT. IAS DROPPED FROM APPROX 125 KIAS TO 70 KIAS. MAINTAINED ALT INITIALLY THEN ACCEPTED A 200 FT LOSS TO MAINTAIN IAS OF 90 KIAS. AT THIS POINT I REQUESTED A GND SPD CHK FROM APCH CTL CAME BACK WITH READOUT OF 100 KTS. THIS I BELIEVE LED THEM TO THE CONCLUSION THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING A FUEL EXHAUSTION AS OPPOSED TO A FUEL STARVATION RELATED EMER BECAUSE, WHEY I LANDED I WAS REFERRED TO AS 'THE GIRL THAT RAN OUT OF FUEL!' BY GUARD. I DSNDED AT AN ESTIMATED BEST GLIDE SPD AND THEN TRANSITIONED TO THE RECOMMENDED LNDG APCH SPD ONCE LNDG ASSURED. LOOKED OUTSIDE AT PITOT TUBE, WINGS, AND HORIZ STABILIZER TO CHK FOR ICE ACCUMULATION, ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS DID NOT FAVOR ICE, AND FINALLY RECHKED ENG INSTS. UP UNTIL THIS POINT THE ENG WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. INSPECTION OF ENG INSTS, HOWEVER, REVEALED FUEL PRESSURE AT LESS THAN 3.5 PSI, AND ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, WITH A PWR DROP TO 1200 RPM WITHOUT ADJUSTING THROTTLE. ELECTED NOT TO ADJUST THROTTLE OR RUN EMER PROCS, SPECIFIED FOR THE ACFT. PAST EXPERIENCE OF PARTIAL PWR LOSS OF A SIMILAR NATURE IN A NORMALLY ASPIRATED PISTON ENG ACFT, HAVE HELPED ME DRAW THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSION. ADJUSTING POWER, SWITCHING TANKS, OR RUNNING AUX BOOST PUMPS, MAY, DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE FURTHER POWER LOSSES INITIALLY BEFORE RIGHTING OR FINALLY RESTORING THE POWER OUTPUT. INCIDENTALLY, ONCE ON THE GND AND AFTER AN EXTENSIVE RUN-UP, ON OCCASION, THE ENG GENERATED 1800 RPM, BUT SHUT DOWN INSTANTLY ONCE THE HIGH SIDE OF THE PUMP WAS SWITCHED ON. THE LOW SIDE WAS ONCE AGAIN INOP, WHICH MAY BE VERIFIED. I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER TO COMMAND RADIO SILENCE, WHICH WAS A LATER CAUSE OF CRITICISM WITHIN THE COMPANY. AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS AN INEXPERIENCED PLT STEPPING ALL OVER THE FREQ. I SPOKE TO COLUMBUS APCH CTL, AND STATED THAT I HAD AN 'IMMINENT' ENG FAILURE. COLUMBUS REQUESTED THE USUAL REQUIRED INFO, WHICH WAS PROVIDED. I THEN SWITCHED TO CTAF, STATED MY POS, INTENTIONS, AND REQUESTED THAT ANY LCL TFC MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN. NONE WAS RPTED.

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.