BE35 pilot had fuel contamination, had an engine failure, and dead sticked the aircraft into tvl. Pilot broadcasted on another unrelated frequency, not realizing airport of intended landing might not have frequency being utilized.

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Attributes
ACN	603438
Time
Date	200312
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tvl.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tvl.tower tower : lax.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 68 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	603438
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On dec/mon/03, arrived at carson airport in carson city, nv, after a 6 hour flight from new mexico. Had local FBO top off both main tanks in wing. Departed following morning approximately XA00 local for sight-seeing, pleasure flight with 2 passenger aboard. After a short flight to lake tahoe and over the middle of the lake, experienced power failure. Immediately looked for a landing site, and spotted airport to south side of lake. Not knowing area, did not know that airport was in california, not nevada, and made radio call to tower declaring emergency, but on wrong frequency. Checked for traffic and landed. Found contaminated fuel in both main tanks. Switched to auxiliary tip tanks, and returned to carson airport after extensive run-ups. Advised FBO of problem. Prior to leaving south tahoe airport, spoke to tower operators, but they were not sympathetic to emergency situation, and were upset that they were not contacted by radio. Tower operators should be made aware of situation in cockpit during loss of power, and do more to help rather than insisting on repeated and lengthy telephone conversations after event has occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT HAD FUEL CONTAMINATION, HAD AN ENG FAILURE, AND DEAD STICKED THE ACFT INTO TVL. PLT BROADCASTED ON ANOTHER UNRELATED FREQ, NOT REALIZING ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG MIGHT NOT HAVE FREQ BEING UTILIZED.

Narrative: ON DEC/MON/03, ARRIVED AT CARSON ARPT IN CARSON CITY, NV, AFTER A 6 HR FLT FROM NEW MEXICO. HAD LCL FBO TOP OFF BOTH MAIN TANKS IN WING. DEPARTED FOLLOWING MORNING APPROX XA00 LCL FOR SIGHT-SEEING, PLEASURE FLT WITH 2 PAX ABOARD. AFTER A SHORT FLT TO LAKE TAHOE AND OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE, EXPERIENCED PWR FAILURE. IMMEDIATELY LOOKED FOR A LNDG SITE, AND SPOTTED ARPT TO S SIDE OF LAKE. NOT KNOWING AREA, DID NOT KNOW THAT ARPT WAS IN CALIFORNIA, NOT NEVADA, AND MADE RADIO CALL TO TWR DECLARING EMER, BUT ON WRONG FREQ. CHKED FOR TFC AND LANDED. FOUND CONTAMINATED FUEL IN BOTH MAIN TANKS. SWITCHED TO AUX TIP TANKS, AND RETURNED TO CARSON ARPT AFTER EXTENSIVE RUN-UPS. ADVISED FBO OF PROB. PRIOR TO LEAVING SOUTH TAHOE ARPT, SPOKE TO TWR OPERATORS, BUT THEY WERE NOT SYMPATHETIC TO EMER SIT, AND WERE UPSET THAT THEY WERE NOT CONTACTED BY RADIO. TWR OPERATORS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF SIT IN COCKPIT DURING LOSS OF PWR, AND DO MORE TO HELP RATHER THAN INSISTING ON REPEATED AND LENGTHY TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS AFTER EVENT HAS OCCURRED.

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.