Narrative:

As I was departing bur I ordered fuel. I observed the lineman fuel both tanks and I visually noted that the fuel caps appeared to be in place and correctly aligned. I departed without incident and approximately 10-15 mins before landing at santa barbara observed that the right side wing fuel tank cap was missing. I landed at santa barbara (sba), which was the nearest airport. I do not know how or why the cap came off. Upon touchdown as I left the plane and entered the FBO, I initially considered flying on to my home destination, kvo, without the cap and made remarks to lineman that were overheard by someone which suggested that this was my intention. That person reported me to the police. Ultimately, however, I elected on my own and before reentering the ramp not to fly further without replacement caps. In fact, before I entered the ramp I ordered new caps from the lineman and accepted his offer to make reservations at a local hotel for my passenger and myself. I then walked out to the ramp to retrieve my passenger's belongings and secure the airplane. As soon as I stepped onto the ramp I was confronted by 3 police officers. They stated that they had been called by another pilot who had overheard me making statements which suggested that I intended to fly without a gas cap. I pointed out to them that I had made reservations for a local hotel and ordered a new gas cap for delivery to that FBO and that I was going to collect our belongings and secure the airplane and had no intention of flying. They took me into the FBO and called the chief enforcement officer for the FAA and put me on the line with him. I told the FAA officer what I had just told the police officers, that it was all a misunderstanding and that the person who overheard me earlier had not actually confronted me with whether or not I was actually intending to fly the plane wihtout caps, and in fact I did not intend to do so and had already made reservations to stay in santa barbara for the evening. He told me that my explanation was sufficient and that no further action would be taken. The police officers did not appear to me to wholly accept my explanation. They told me that they planned to file an 'incident report.' I interpreted that to mean that they would recommend that some action be taken against me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA46 LOST R GAS CAP WHILE ENRTE TO SBA. PUBLIC CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER TO FLY ANOTHER LEG WITH THE CAP MISSING GENERATED A CALL TO LCL POLICE AND A DISCUSSION WITH THE FAA.

Narrative: AS I WAS DEPARTING BUR I ORDERED FUEL. I OBSERVED THE LINEMAN FUEL BOTH TANKS AND I VISUALLY NOTED THAT THE FUEL CAPS APPEARED TO BE IN PLACE AND CORRECTLY ALIGNED. I DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND APPROX 10-15 MINS BEFORE LNDG AT SANTA BARBARA OBSERVED THAT THE R SIDE WING FUEL TANK CAP WAS MISSING. I LANDED AT SANTA BARBARA (SBA), WHICH WAS THE NEAREST ARPT. I DO NOT KNOW HOW OR WHY THE CAP CAME OFF. UPON TOUCHDOWN AS I LEFT THE PLANE AND ENTERED THE FBO, I INITIALLY CONSIDERED FLYING ON TO MY HOME DEST, KVO, WITHOUT THE CAP AND MADE REMARKS TO LINEMAN THAT WERE OVERHEARD BY SOMEONE WHICH SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS MY INTENTION. THAT PERSON RPTED ME TO THE POLICE. ULTIMATELY, HOWEVER, I ELECTED ON MY OWN AND BEFORE REENTERING THE RAMP NOT TO FLY FURTHER WITHOUT REPLACEMENT CAPS. IN FACT, BEFORE I ENTERED THE RAMP I ORDERED NEW CAPS FROM THE LINEMAN AND ACCEPTED HIS OFFER TO MAKE RESERVATIONS AT A LCL HOTEL FOR MY PAX AND MYSELF. I THEN WALKED OUT TO THE RAMP TO RETRIEVE MY PAX'S BELONGINGS AND SECURE THE AIRPLANE. AS SOON AS I STEPPED ONTO THE RAMP I WAS CONFRONTED BY 3 POLICE OFFICERS. THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN CALLED BY ANOTHER PLT WHO HAD OVERHEARD ME MAKING STATEMENTS WHICH SUGGESTED THAT I INTENDED TO FLY WITHOUT A GAS CAP. I POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT I HAD MADE RESERVATIONS FOR A LCL HOTEL AND ORDERED A NEW GAS CAP FOR DELIVERY TO THAT FBO AND THAT I WAS GOING TO COLLECT OUR BELONGINGS AND SECURE THE AIRPLANE AND HAD NO INTENTION OF FLYING. THEY TOOK ME INTO THE FBO AND CALLED THE CHIEF ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOR THE FAA AND PUT ME ON THE LINE WITH HIM. I TOLD THE FAA OFFICER WHAT I HAD JUST TOLD THE POLICE OFFICERS, THAT IT WAS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING AND THAT THE PERSON WHO OVERHEARD ME EARLIER HAD NOT ACTUALLY CONFRONTED ME WITH WHETHER OR NOT I WAS ACTUALLY INTENDING TO FLY THE PLANE WIHTOUT CAPS, AND IN FACT I DID NOT INTEND TO DO SO AND HAD ALREADY MADE RESERVATIONS TO STAY IN SANTA BARBARA FOR THE EVENING. HE TOLD ME THAT MY EXPLANATION WAS SUFFICIENT AND THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. THE POLICE OFFICERS DID NOT APPEAR TO ME TO WHOLLY ACCEPT MY EXPLANATION. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY PLANNED TO FILE AN 'INCIDENT RPT.' I INTERPRETED THAT TO MEAN THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THAT SOME ACTION BE TAKEN AGAINST ME.

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.