Runway incursion, landing without clearance by a navion private pilot when his engine fails from fue...

Attributes
ACN	591844
Time
Date	200308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cma.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cma.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Navion Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : straight in
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 220 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	591844
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2 pax
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I leveled out 3000 ft MSL to practice normal turns and introduce my plane to a fellow pilot during VFR conditions. Upon leaning the engine for cruise flight, it began to run slightly rough. I attempted to smooth out the engine by increasing the mixture and trying different power settings, but the engine continued to run rough. At this point, I decided to turn back to the airport for a straight-in approach to the active runway 26 from 5 mi at 3000 ft. I called cma tower and told them my position and altitude. I did not declare an emergency as the airport was in range and the engine was still operating. The tower cleared me for a 4 mi final and I was to confirm when I entered the 4 mi final. At this point the engine began losing power as I turned my head around in the cockpit looking for other traffic. The microphone connection to my headset became partially unplugged due to my movement. I had the runway made, the engine was producing no power, and I observed no other traffic conflicting with the approach. I called tower to confirm 4 mi final, but no response from the tower. I called again, no response. I called 3 mi final and 1 mi final. At this point I told my passenger to call the tower on his side. The tower told us to do a go around. I pushed the throttle full forward and nothing happened. My passenger explained as I touched down that we had lost all power and I was unable to transmit. After rollout, I shut the engine down and pulled the aircraft to the nearest taxiway. Within mins we towed the plane back to our ramp. No damage and no injury due to the above events. The reason I was unable to fix such a simple problem with the headset microphone connection was that I didn't want to take any attention away from landing the plane safely. A faulty diaphragm in the carburetor is at fault and is currently being rebuilt. The engine trouble was not noticed during run-up, climb, or in the airport's pattern prior to cruise flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION, LWOC BY A NAVION PVT PLT WHEN HIS ENG FAILS FROM FUEL STARVATION AT 3000 FT MSL, 5 NM E OF CMA, CA.

Narrative: I LEVELED OUT 3000 FT MSL TO PRACTICE NORMAL TURNS AND INTRODUCE MY PLANE TO A FELLOW PLT DURING VFR CONDITIONS. UPON LEANING THE ENG FOR CRUISE FLT, IT BEGAN TO RUN SLIGHTLY ROUGH. I ATTEMPTED TO SMOOTH OUT THE ENG BY INCREASING THE MIXTURE AND TRYING DIFFERENT PWR SETTINGS, BUT THE ENG CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO THE ARPT FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THE ACTIVE RWY 26 FROM 5 MI AT 3000 FT. I CALLED CMA TWR AND TOLD THEM MY POS AND ALT. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS THE ARPT WAS IN RANGE AND THE ENG WAS STILL OPERATING. THE TWR CLRED ME FOR A 4 MI FINAL AND I WAS TO CONFIRM WHEN I ENTERED THE 4 MI FINAL. AT THIS POINT THE ENG BEGAN LOSING PWR AS I TURNED MY HEAD AROUND IN THE COCKPIT LOOKING FOR OTHER TFC. THE MIKE CONNECTION TO MY HEADSET BECAME PARTIALLY UNPLUGGED DUE TO MY MOVEMENT. I HAD THE RWY MADE, THE ENG WAS PRODUCING NO PWR, AND I OBSERVED NO OTHER TFC CONFLICTING WITH THE APCH. I CALLED TWR TO CONFIRM 4 MI FINAL, BUT NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR. I CALLED AGAIN, NO RESPONSE. I CALLED 3 MI FINAL AND 1 MI FINAL. AT THIS POINT I TOLD MY PAX TO CALL THE TWR ON HIS SIDE. THE TWR TOLD US TO DO A GAR. I PUSHED THE THROTTLE FULL FORWARD AND NOTHING HAPPENED. MY PAX EXPLAINED AS I TOUCHED DOWN THAT WE HAD LOST ALL PWR AND I WAS UNABLE TO XMIT. AFTER ROLLOUT, I SHUT THE ENG DOWN AND PULLED THE ACFT TO THE NEAREST TXWY. WITHIN MINS WE TOWED THE PLANE BACK TO OUR RAMP. NO DAMAGE AND NO INJURY DUE TO THE ABOVE EVENTS. THE REASON I WAS UNABLE TO FIX SUCH A SIMPLE PROB WITH THE HEADSET MIKE CONNECTION WAS THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY ATTN AWAY FROM LNDG THE PLANE SAFELY. A FAULTY DIAPHRAGM IN THE CARB IS AT FAULT AND IS CURRENTLY BEING REBUILT. THE ENG TROUBLE WAS NOT NOTICED DURING RUN-UP, CLIMB, OR IN THE ARPT'S PATTERN PRIOR TO CRUISE FLT.

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.

Runway incursion, landing without clearance by a navion private pilot when his engine fails from fuel starvation at 3000 ft MSL, 5 NM east of cma, ca.