 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A C170 on initial climb at 1000 ft experiences loss of power and makes an off airport landing caused by fuel starvation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 474253 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 170 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 580 |
| ASRS Report | 474253 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : airframe technician : powerplant |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : logbook entry |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On may/xa/00 while departing from culpeper regional airport, va, during climb and right before initiating departure turn from airport pattern, the engine lost power momentarily then gained power briefly. Before losing it again, I (pilot) immediately checked selector, which was set to both tanks, and checked mixture which was full rich. Engine lost power again and pilot pumped throttle which resulted in momentary increase until engine stopped completely. Pilot had made initial turn back to airport but when power was lost completely he didn't think it would be advisable to attempt landing there. He quickly located a field about 1 mi to the southeast of the airport and was able to effect a safe landing which resulted in no damage to the aircraft or private property. It was determined that the engine failure was due to lack of fuel. The next day, after fuel had been placed in the tanks, the pilot was able to fly the plane from the field and return to the airport. During the inspection it was discovered that repairs to the fuel selector valve needed to be done. In order to make those repairs, it was necessary for all the fuel to be drained from fuel tanks, which it was. On the day of the flight when pilot was making prechks, he looked at the gauges, which are circular, clock-like type, and misread them as being full when in reality they were reading empty. Pilot realizes he should have looked more closely and if there was doubt should have asked mechanics if they had replaced the fuel they had drained.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C170 ON INITIAL CLB AT 1000 FT EXPERIENCES LOSS OF PWR AND MAKES AN OFF ARPT LNDG CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.
Narrative: ON MAY/XA/00 WHILE DEPARTING FROM CULPEPER REGIONAL ARPT, VA, DURING CLB AND RIGHT BEFORE INITIATING DEP TURN FROM ARPT PATTERN, THE ENG LOST PWR MOMENTARILY THEN GAINED PWR BRIEFLY. BEFORE LOSING IT AGAIN, I (PLT) IMMEDIATELY CHKED SELECTOR, WHICH WAS SET TO BOTH TANKS, AND CHKED MIXTURE WHICH WAS FULL RICH. ENG LOST PWR AGAIN AND PLT PUMPED THROTTLE WHICH RESULTED IN MOMENTARY INCREASE UNTIL ENG STOPPED COMPLETELY. PLT HAD MADE INITIAL TURN BACK TO ARPT BUT WHEN PWR WAS LOST COMPLETELY HE DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO ATTEMPT LNDG THERE. HE QUICKLY LOCATED A FIELD ABOUT 1 MI TO THE SE OF THE ARPT AND WAS ABLE TO EFFECT A SAFE LNDG WHICH RESULTED IN NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PVT PROPERTY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENG FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF FUEL. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER FUEL HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE TANKS, THE PLT WAS ABLE TO FLY THE PLANE FROM THE FIELD AND RETURN TO THE ARPT. DURING THE INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT REPAIRS TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE NEEDED TO BE DONE. IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE REPAIRS, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ALL THE FUEL TO BE DRAINED FROM FUEL TANKS, WHICH IT WAS. ON THE DAY OF THE FLT WHEN PLT WAS MAKING PRECHKS, HE LOOKED AT THE GAUGES, WHICH ARE CIRCULAR, CLOCK-LIKE TYPE, AND MISREAD THEM AS BEING FULL WHEN IN REALITY THEY WERE READING EMPTY. PLT REALIZES HE SHOULD HAVE LOOKED MORE CLOSELY AND IF THERE WAS DOUBT SHOULD HAVE ASKED MECHS IF THEY HAD REPLACED THE FUEL THEY HAD DRAINED.
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.