A C206 pilot, returning to private, after discovering a low fuel situation, had an airborne conflict with another aircraft on final.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	542858
Time
Date	200203
Day	Tue
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 6
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	542858
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel guage other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2500 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was delivering the cessna 206 to visalia, ca, after maintenance. The fuel gauges showed at 1/4 each. I looked into the tank and saw it had fuel. I checked the pilot fuel log and it should it had about 2 hours of fuel. After takeoff and flying for a few mins, I saw the fuel gauge lower, so I turned around to go back to the airport. I had switched the transmitter to visalia unicom. I turned the switch to the other radio with ptv unicom. I made a call and said that I was low fuel. I did not hear anyone. I saw a C150 on a wide downwind. I dropped to 1200 ft so I would be below him in case he would make a left turn. I was much faster than him, so I continued to the base leg. I called a number of times, but received no answer. I saw a beech A36 on final. I slowed the C206 so I could turn to final after he passed. After he passed in front of me, he had retracted his gear and was going around. I then landed and refueled. I took off from mid field intersection. After the A36 passed, I found that I had not turned the switch far enough on the radio to transmit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C206 PLT, RETURNING TO PVT, AFTER DISCOVERING A LOW FUEL SIT, HAD AN AIRBORNE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL.

Narrative: I WAS DELIVERING THE CESSNA 206 TO VISALIA, CA, AFTER MAINT. THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED AT 1/4 EACH. I LOOKED INTO THE TANK AND SAW IT HAD FUEL. I CHKED THE PLT FUEL LOG AND IT SHOULD IT HAD ABOUT 2 HRS OF FUEL. AFTER TKOF AND FLYING FOR A FEW MINS, I SAW THE FUEL GAUGE LOWER, SO I TURNED AROUND TO GO BACK TO THE ARPT. I HAD SWITCHED THE XMITTER TO VISALIA UNICOM. I TURNED THE SWITCH TO THE OTHER RADIO WITH PTV UNICOM. I MADE A CALL AND SAID THAT I WAS LOW FUEL. I DID NOT HEAR ANYONE. I SAW A C150 ON A WIDE DOWNWIND. I DROPPED TO 1200 FT SO I WOULD BE BELOW HIM IN CASE HE WOULD MAKE A L TURN. I WAS MUCH FASTER THAN HIM, SO I CONTINUED TO THE BASE LEG. I CALLED A NUMBER OF TIMES, BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. I SAW A BEECH A36 ON FINAL. I SLOWED THE C206 SO I COULD TURN TO FINAL AFTER HE PASSED. AFTER HE PASSED IN FRONT OF ME, HE HAD RETRACTED HIS GEAR AND WAS GOING AROUND. I THEN LANDED AND REFUELED. I TOOK OFF FROM MID FIELD INTXN. AFTER THE A36 PASSED, I FOUND THAT I HAD NOT TURNED THE SWITCH FAR ENOUGH ON THE RADIO TO XMIT.

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.