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Pilot of a mooney declared an emergency and landed at the nearest airport when he noticed his fuel supply was low for the intended flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 472045 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hpn.airport |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 11500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon tower : hpn.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 472045 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : separated traffic flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I departed my home field at XA00 am. Some repairs were being made to the gear door when I arrived at airport. I had called earlier to have plane topped off with 100 pounds fuel. I preflted and departed. On leveling out for cruise, I noted only 1/4 tank of fuel on fuel gauges and wing sight gauge. My fear was that a fuel line had broken and that the fuel pump was dumping fuel. This happened to a friend with the same type. I asked ny approach for nearest field (hpn) and reduced power to idle. As I was circling overhead the field, the tower cleared me to land #2 behind traffic on 5 mi final. This was unacceptable to me since I did not know if I had fuel or power. I declared emergency, was cleared to land, and landed. On inspection, everything ok with fuel system. My preflight was degraded by my being distracted to talk over repairs with mechanic, and I was concerned about the potential for a serious fuel leak over the engine. But the reality was that the FBO did not refuel the plane.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A MOONEY DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST ARPT WHEN HE NOTICED HIS FUEL SUPPLY WAS LOW FOR THE INTENDED FLT.
Narrative: I DEPARTED MY HOME FIELD AT XA00 AM. SOME REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE TO THE GEAR DOOR WHEN I ARRIVED AT ARPT. I HAD CALLED EARLIER TO HAVE PLANE TOPPED OFF WITH 100 LBS FUEL. I PREFLTED AND DEPARTED. ON LEVELING OUT FOR CRUISE, I NOTED ONLY 1/4 TANK OF FUEL ON FUEL GAUGES AND WING SIGHT GAUGE. MY FEAR WAS THAT A FUEL LINE HAD BROKEN AND THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DUMPING FUEL. THIS HAPPENED TO A FRIEND WITH THE SAME TYPE. I ASKED NY APCH FOR NEAREST FIELD (HPN) AND REDUCED PWR TO IDLE. AS I WAS CIRCLING OVERHEAD THE FIELD, THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND #2 BEHIND TFC ON 5 MI FINAL. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME SINCE I DID NOT KNOW IF I HAD FUEL OR PWR. I DECLARED EMER, WAS CLRED TO LAND, AND LANDED. ON INSPECTION, EVERYTHING OK WITH FUEL SYS. MY PREFLT WAS DEGRADED BY MY BEING DISTRACTED TO TALK OVER REPAIRS WITH MECH, AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS FUEL LEAK OVER THE ENG. BUT THE REALITY WAS THAT THE FBO DID NOT REFUEL THE PLANE.
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.