Narrative:

I departed lmt (klamath falls, oregon) with full tanks for a night VFR flight to hwd (hayward, ca) in my be-35 bonanza, which I have owned for approximately 10 years. Commercial flight planner predicted a flight time of approximately 2 hours, and fuel burn of approximately 20 gallons of fuel, out of a 40-gallon capacity divided between two wing fuel tanks. While enroute, I encountered much stronger winds than forecast, however my estimated time enroute was calculated not to exceed 3 hours, which left more than 45 minutes reserved onboard. Upon approaching apc (napa, ca), I obtained ATIS information from oak (oakland, ca) and sjc (san jose, ca) revealing that since both of those airports were IFR, hwd probably was also, despite a forecast of VFR. I then obtained and flew an IFR clearance from bay approach control consisting of radar vectors to the localizer/DME approach to hwd. At approximately 12 miles DME (east) from hwd, was cleared for the approach, and I intercepted and began tracking the localizer inbound, in IMC conditions. At approximately 7 DME from hwd, with the left fuel tank (indicating 1/4 capacity) selected, the engine suddenly lost complete power. I simultaneously switched the fuel selector to the right tank, and declared a mayday emergency with bay approach. I gently slowed the aircraft to best glide speed, feathered the (electric) propeller, and awaited the fuel from the right tank to reach the engine, while tracking the localizer inbound, and tracking my DME and altitude on the approach. At approximately 800 feet MSL, I was able to make visual contact with the hwd runway, at which time I cancelled the IFR with bay approach, informed them that I thought I would make it down onto the runway. At about the same time, power came back to the engine, so I lowered the landing gear, and was able to land uneventfully. Later that day, I inspected the aircraft, and it appeared to be in sound mechanical condition, except that the left fuel cell was pulled up toward the filler cap, symptomatic of a plugged fuel tank vent. I suspect that when I withdrew the first hour of fuel from the left tank, the fuel cell deformed, so that when I subsequently switched to the right tank for the next hour of flight, the fuel that was bypassed by the carburetor and routed to the left tank, which filled to its (deformed) capacity, and subsequently vented pressurized fuel overboard. The deformed tank also may have caused the fuel-level sender to indicate fuel, when in fact there was little or no fuel in the left tank. The aircraft is grounded pending inspection and repair by an a&P mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-35 PLT LOST ENGINE POWER ON A NIGHT IMC APCH TO HWD.

Narrative: I DEPARTED LMT (KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON) WITH FULL TANKS FOR A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT TO HWD (HAYWARD, CA) IN MY BE-35 BONANZA, WHICH I HAVE OWNED FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 YEARS. COMMERCIAL FLIGHT PLANNER PREDICTED A FLIGHT TIME OF APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS, AND FUEL BURN OF APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL, OUT OF A 40-GALLON CAPACITY DIVIDED BETWEEN TWO WING FUEL TANKS. WHILE ENROUTE, I ENCOUNTERED MUCH STRONGER WINDS THAN FORECAST, HOWEVER MY ESTIMATED TIME ENROUTE WAS CALCULATED NOT TO EXCEED 3 HOURS, WHICH LEFT MORE THAN 45 MINUTES RESERVED ONBOARD. UPON APPROACHING APC (NAPA, CA), I OBTAINED ATIS INFORMATION FROM OAK (OAKLAND, CA) AND SJC (SAN JOSE, CA) REVEALING THAT SINCE BOTH OF THOSE AIRPORTS WERE IFR, HWD PROBABLY WAS ALSO, DESPITE A FORECAST OF VFR. I THEN OBTAINED AND FLEW AN IFR CLEARANCE FROM BAY APPROACH CONTROL CONSISTING OF RADAR VECTORS TO THE LOC/DME APPROACH TO HWD. AT APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES DME (EAST) FROM HWD, WAS CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH, AND I INTERCEPTED AND BEGAN TRACKING THE LOCALIZER INBOUND, IN IMC CONDITIONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 7 DME FROM HWD, WITH THE LEFT FUEL TANK (INDICATING 1/4 CAPACITY) SELECTED, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST COMPLETE POWER. I SIMULTANEOUSLY SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT TANK, AND DECLARED A MAYDAY EMERGENCY WITH BAY APPROACH. I GENTLY SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO BEST GLIDE SPEED, FEATHERED THE (ELECTRIC) PROPELLER, AND AWAITED THE FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO REACH THE ENGINE, WHILE TRACKING THE LOCALIZER INBOUND, AND TRACKING MY DME AND ALTITUDE ON THE APPROACH. AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET MSL, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE HWD RUNWAY, AT WHICH TIME I CANCELLED THE IFR WITH BAY APPROACH, INFORMED THEM THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE IT DOWN ONTO THE RUNWAY. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, POWER CAME BACK TO THE ENGINE, SO I LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, AND WAS ABLE TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY. LATER THAT DAY, I INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, AND IT APPEARED TO BE IN SOUND MECHANICAL CONDITION, EXCEPT THAT THE LEFT FUEL CELL WAS PULLED UP TOWARD THE FILLER CAP, SYMPTOMATIC OF A PLUGGED FUEL TANK VENT. I SUSPECT THAT WHEN I WITHDREW THE FIRST HOUR OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT TANK, THE FUEL CELL DEFORMED, SO THAT WHEN I SUBSEQUENTLY SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK FOR THE NEXT HOUR OF FLIGHT, THE FUEL THAT WAS BYPASSED BY THE CARBURETOR AND ROUTED TO THE LEFT TANK, WHICH FILLED TO ITS (DEFORMED) CAPACITY, AND SUBSEQUENTLY VENTED PRESSURIZED FUEL OVERBOARD. THE DEFORMED TANK ALSO MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FUEL-LEVEL SENDER TO INDICATE FUEL, WHEN IN FACT THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT IS GROUNDED PENDING INSPECTION AND REPAIR BY AN A&P MECHANIC.

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.