Narrative:

I had just departed chatham (cqx) after a crosswind landing in my be-A36 and climbed up to 3000 ft MSL en route back to ewb. I was heading about 310 degrees and was out over nantucket sound and during the course of the leaning procedure noted that when I enriched the mixture, the fuel flow actually began decreasing instead of increasing. I immediately began a climb on course and at approximately 5000 ft MSL the engine was no longer producing any power. The nearest airport was hya, approximately 10 mi north of my position. I attempted best glide, and changed fuel tanks, made sure throttle, propeller and mixture controls were full forward, magnetos on 'both,' declared an emergency and began the descent into hya. At approximately 3000 ft I went through it again and this time turned on the fuel boost pump which caused the engine to regain power and I informed hya tower of that and told them I'd like to proceed to ewb at that time. They asked me if I was sure, and I stated that I would land at hya and have things checked out, and I made an uneventful landing at hya. The following are what I thought I might have done better on this flight: 1) I did not obtain a complete WX briefing (it was solid VFR over my route of flight) and I had done a computer WX brief for the area but I hadn't obtained the winds aloft, NOTAMS, etc. I knew from my flying that day that the winds aloft were from the nnw and that when I headed to hya I was bucking a fairly strong headwind. It became apparent that during my descent without power that I was not likely to make the airport and that I would have to land off airport. A better choice might have been to turn south and land on the beach at nantucket. 2) I had difficulty holding best glide speed in my airplane of 110 KIAS and instead fluctuated between 90-100 KIAS. 3) I did not go through the engine out checklist in an orderly fashion. This led to a delay in selecting the electric fuel boost pump and needless gliding along without power, and 4) once the power had been regained, it was poor judgement to even think about going to another airport until the engine had been checked out. To rectify this situation, I will receive additional emergency procedure training, obtain complete WX briefing and try and exercise better judgement. I don't think that the FAA will have any issues that may lead to an enforcement action, however, I am submitting this in hopes that others may learn from my experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG PLANNED WHEN A BEECH A-36 PLT FALTERS IN HIS FIRST APPLICATION OF HIS FUEL EMER CHKLIST OVER NANTUCKET SOUND, 10 MI S OF HYA, MA.

Narrative: I HAD JUST DEPARTED CHATHAM (CQX) AFTER A XWIND LNDG IN MY BE-A36 AND CLBED UP TO 3000 FT MSL ENRTE BACK TO EWB. I WAS HDG ABOUT 310 DEGS AND WAS OUT OVER NANTUCKET SOUND AND DURING THE COURSE OF THE LEANING PROC NOTED THAT WHEN I ENRICHED THE MIXTURE, THE FUEL FLOW ACTUALLY BEGAN DECREASING INSTEAD OF INCREASING. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A CLB ON COURSE AND AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL THE ENG WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING ANY PWR. THE NEAREST ARPT WAS HYA, APPROX 10 MI N OF MY POS. I ATTEMPTED BEST GLIDE, AND CHANGED FUEL TANKS, MADE SURE THROTTLE, PROP AND MIXTURE CTLS WERE FULL FORWARD, MAGNETOS ON 'BOTH,' DECLARED AN EMER AND BEGAN THE DSCNT INTO HYA. AT APPROX 3000 FT I WENT THROUGH IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WHICH CAUSED THE ENG TO REGAIN PWR AND I INFORMED HYA TWR OF THAT AND TOLD THEM I'D LIKE TO PROCEED TO EWB AT THAT TIME. THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS SURE, AND I STATED THAT I WOULD LAND AT HYA AND HAVE THINGS CHKED OUT, AND I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT HYA. THE FOLLOWING ARE WHAT I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE DONE BETTER ON THIS FLT: 1) I DID NOT OBTAIN A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING (IT WAS SOLID VFR OVER MY RTE OF FLT) AND I HAD DONE A COMPUTER WX BRIEF FOR THE AREA BUT I HADN'T OBTAINED THE WINDS ALOFT, NOTAMS, ETC. I KNEW FROM MY FLYING THAT DAY THAT THE WINDS ALOFT WERE FROM THE NNW AND THAT WHEN I HEADED TO HYA I WAS BUCKING A FAIRLY STRONG HEADWIND. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT DURING MY DSCNT WITHOUT PWR THAT I WAS NOT LIKELY TO MAKE THE ARPT AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LAND OFF ARPT. A BETTER CHOICE MIGHT HAVE BEEN TO TURN S AND LAND ON THE BEACH AT NANTUCKET. 2) I HAD DIFFICULTY HOLDING BEST GLIDE SPD IN MY AIRPLANE OF 110 KIAS AND INSTEAD FLUCTUATED BTWN 90-100 KIAS. 3) I DID NOT GO THROUGH THE ENG OUT CHKLIST IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. THIS LED TO A DELAY IN SELECTING THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP AND NEEDLESS GLIDING ALONG WITHOUT PWR, AND 4) ONCE THE PWR HAD BEEN REGAINED, IT WAS POOR JUDGEMENT TO EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING TO ANOTHER ARPT UNTIL THE ENG HAD BEEN CHKED OUT. TO RECTIFY THIS SIT, I WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL EMER PROC TRAINING, OBTAIN COMPLETE WX BRIEFING AND TRY AND EXERCISE BETTER JUDGEMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT THE FAA WILL HAVE ANY ISSUES THAT MAY LEAD TO AN ENFORCEMENT ACTION, HOWEVER, I AM SUBMITTING THIS IN HOPES THAT OTHERS MAY LEARN FROM MY EXPERIENCE.

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.