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A PA27 pilot made an emergency landing at a closed airport after experiencing engine problems in foreign airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 611685 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200403 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mygf.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mygf.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : charter general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | PA-23-250 Turbo Aztec |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 985 flight time type : 450 |
| ASRS Report | 611685 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Took off from freeport, grand bahama island on VFR, sightseeing flight. Over west end, left engine oil temperature indicated an elevated reading. Oil pressure seemed normal. Fearing a possible sudden stoppage of engine/hydraulics with unfeathered propeller, immediate landing as an emergency was chosen. During the rapid effort to descend safely and configure into a landing status, no radio declaration was made. Landing was safe. No damage, no injury. Use of the closed airport was the safest option versus a thin, 2-LANE road with potholes and potential obstructions. Checked the airplane when on the ground and found the oil level to be slightly low, but not likely to have caused the 'hot' reading. A mechanic has conjectured (but not yet checked) that the temperature gauge is faulty. Next flight was uneventful. Low altitude sightseeing flight contributed to this incident in that I didn't feel I had time to further diagnose the problem, nor to communicate the emergency declaration. Once I was on the ground, I sought a telephone to declare my situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA27 PLT MADE AN EMER LNDG AT A CLOSED ARPT AFTER EXPERIENCING ENG PROBS IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.
Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND ON VFR, SIGHTSEEING FLT. OVER WEST END, L ENG OIL TEMP INDICATED AN ELEVATED READING. OIL PRESSURE SEEMED NORMAL. FEARING A POSSIBLE SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF ENG/HYDS WITH UNFEATHERED PROP, IMMEDIATE LNDG AS AN EMER WAS CHOSEN. DURING THE RAPID EFFORT TO DSND SAFELY AND CONFIGURE INTO A LNDG STATUS, NO RADIO DECLARATION WAS MADE. LNDG WAS SAFE. NO DAMAGE, NO INJURY. USE OF THE CLOSED ARPT WAS THE SAFEST OPTION VERSUS A THIN, 2-LANE ROAD WITH POTHOLES AND POTENTIAL OBSTRUCTIONS. CHKED THE AIRPLANE WHEN ON THE GND AND FOUND THE OIL LEVEL TO BE SLIGHTLY LOW, BUT NOT LIKELY TO HAVE CAUSED THE 'HOT' READING. A MECH HAS CONJECTURED (BUT NOT YET CHKED) THAT THE TEMP GAUGE IS FAULTY. NEXT FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. LOW ALT SIGHTSEEING FLT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT IN THAT I DIDN'T FEEL I HAD TIME TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE PROB, NOR TO COMMUNICATE THE EMER DECLARATION. ONCE I WAS ON THE GND, I SOUGHT A TELEPHONE TO DECLARE MY SIT.
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.