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Flying his small aircraft with a known and unlogged fuel system anomaly, the reporter suffered fuel starvation and made a dead stick, off airport landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 616986 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200405 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : chd.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : chd.tower tower : msp.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 475 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 616986 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
My airplane has 4 fuel tanks. 3 tanks were full and 1 was empty. I did not fill the right tip tank because this fuel was moving from the right tip to the left main tank and going out the overflow. After takeoff, the airplane was heavy on the left side and required a lot of right aileron. I decided to burn some fuel from the left tip tank to balance the airplane. I moved the fuel selector valve to the empty tank instead of the full tank. The engine stopped and I started the emergency procedures. Checked fuel pump, magnetos, called chandler ATC and looked for a place to land. I made a pilot error by not checking the fuel selector valve. I made a pilot error by flying the aircraft with a known fuel problem in the right tip tank. We made a successful landing in a field. The airplane was inspected, and the problem was idented. The airplane was restarted and flown to chandler. To prevent this in the future, I will need to brush up on my emergency procedures. I should have checked the fuel selector valve (pilot error). In addition, I need to question myself and ask if this airplane is airworthy when 1 tank isn't functioning properly.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLYING HIS SMA WITH A KNOWN AND UNLOGGED FUEL SYS ANOMALY, THE RPTR SUFFERED FUEL STARVATION AND MADE A DEAD STICK, OFF ARPT LNDG.
Narrative: MY AIRPLANE HAS 4 FUEL TANKS. 3 TANKS WERE FULL AND 1 WAS EMPTY. I DID NOT FILL THE R TIP TANK BECAUSE THIS FUEL WAS MOVING FROM THE R TIP TO THE L MAIN TANK AND GOING OUT THE OVERFLOW. AFTER TKOF, THE AIRPLANE WAS HVY ON THE L SIDE AND REQUIRED A LOT OF R AILERON. I DECIDED TO BURN SOME FUEL FROM THE L TIP TANK TO BALANCE THE AIRPLANE. I MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE EMPTY TANK INSTEAD OF THE FULL TANK. THE ENG STOPPED AND I STARTED THE EMER PROCS. CHKED FUEL PUMP, MAGNETOS, CALLED CHANDLER ATC AND LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I MADE A PLT ERROR BY NOT CHKING THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE. I MADE A PLT ERROR BY FLYING THE ACFT WITH A KNOWN FUEL PROB IN THE R TIP TANK. WE MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG IN A FIELD. THE AIRPLANE WAS INSPECTED, AND THE PROB WAS IDENTED. THE AIRPLANE WAS RESTARTED AND FLOWN TO CHANDLER. TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NEED TO BRUSH UP ON MY EMER PROCS. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE (PLT ERROR). IN ADDITION, I NEED TO QUESTION MYSELF AND ASK IF THIS AIRPLANE IS AIRWORTHY WHEN 1 TANK ISN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.
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.