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SU26 pilot makes an engine out landing on a private airstrip after engine quits during aerobatic maneuver due to improperly positioned manual fuel pump handle.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 619471 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200406 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sgr.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 960 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 619471 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Embarked on a 25 min aerobatic flight. Upon reaching legal aerobatic practice area, commenced aerobatics. After 10 gals fuel burned, in last maneuver, vertical up outside snap roll, engine died. Fuel totalizer showed 7 gals remained. Checked power switch, magnetos, fuel pump, oil pressure, fuel cut off, pumped throttle. Attempted to build pressure with manual fuel pump. No pressure, unable to restart. Recovery from maneuver in level flight at 3500 ft MSL. Practice is always in gliding distance of airport. (Established best glide speed before attempting restart/diagnosis.) power off approach and landing on private strip (gravel). No damage or injury. Called mechanic. Pressure tested fuel system. Added fuel for safety restart and flew uneventfully to departure airport. Determined that manual fuel pump handle was turned to cylinder prime. Fuel consumed at 2 times normal rate shown on totalizer, due to bypass of carburetor. Inadvertent lack of ctring selector caused fuel to exhaust. Corrective action: use extra scrutiny in preflight of selector position and make mid-flight regular checks of selector position. I always preflight this selector. It may have been kicked or pulled by parachute harness leg strap, new parachute, different design than last one in this plane. Probably happened before takeoff. My actions for dealing with emergency were well executed. I immediately recovered from vertical up line and was at best glide immediately, aimed at airport. Within 10 seconds, I had exhausted all possibilities in attempting restart. At decision ht of 1000 ft on approach, I was ready for engine out landing. Landing was perfect and gently came to stop. No damage. I had alerted tower of my predicament and told them I had the field made before losing radio contact. I feel I can improve my preflight habits to avoid inadvertent movement of this selector. Design of airplane actually very difficult to improve on. I have alerted all of the other owners of this type of aircraft to the special preflight check before takeoff of this selector.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SU26 PLT MAKES AN ENG OUT LNDG ON A PVT AIRSTRIP AFTER ENG QUITS DURING AEROBATIC MANEUVER DUE TO IMPROPERLY POSITIONED MANUAL FUEL PUMP HANDLE.
Narrative: EMBARKED ON A 25 MIN AEROBATIC FLT. UPON REACHING LEGAL AEROBATIC PRACTICE AREA, COMMENCED AEROBATICS. AFTER 10 GALS FUEL BURNED, IN LAST MANEUVER, VERT UP OUTSIDE SNAP ROLL, ENG DIED. FUEL TOTALIZER SHOWED 7 GALS REMAINED. CHKED PWR SWITCH, MAGNETOS, FUEL PUMP, OIL PRESSURE, FUEL CUT OFF, PUMPED THROTTLE. ATTEMPTED TO BUILD PRESSURE WITH MANUAL FUEL PUMP. NO PRESSURE, UNABLE TO RESTART. RECOVERY FROM MANEUVER IN LEVEL FLT AT 3500 FT MSL. PRACTICE IS ALWAYS IN GLIDING DISTANCE OF ARPT. (ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPD BEFORE ATTEMPTING RESTART/DIAGNOSIS.) PWR OFF APCH AND LNDG ON PVT STRIP (GRAVEL). NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. CALLED MECH. PRESSURE TESTED FUEL SYS. ADDED FUEL FOR SAFETY RESTART AND FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO DEP ARPT. DETERMINED THAT MANUAL FUEL PUMP HANDLE WAS TURNED TO CYLINDER PRIME. FUEL CONSUMED AT 2 TIMES NORMAL RATE SHOWN ON TOTALIZER, DUE TO BYPASS OF CARB. INADVERTENT LACK OF CTRING SELECTOR CAUSED FUEL TO EXHAUST. CORRECTIVE ACTION: USE EXTRA SCRUTINY IN PREFLT OF SELECTOR POS AND MAKE MID-FLT REGULAR CHKS OF SELECTOR POS. I ALWAYS PREFLT THIS SELECTOR. IT MAY HAVE BEEN KICKED OR PULLED BY PARACHUTE HARNESS LEG STRAP, NEW PARACHUTE, DIFFERENT DESIGN THAN LAST ONE IN THIS PLANE. PROBABLY HAPPENED BEFORE TKOF. MY ACTIONS FOR DEALING WITH EMER WERE WELL EXECUTED. I IMMEDIATELY RECOVERED FROM VERT UP LINE AND WAS AT BEST GLIDE IMMEDIATELY, AIMED AT ARPT. WITHIN 10 SECONDS, I HAD EXHAUSTED ALL POSSIBILITIES IN ATTEMPTING RESTART. AT DECISION HT OF 1000 FT ON APCH, I WAS READY FOR ENG OUT LNDG. LNDG WAS PERFECT AND GENTLY CAME TO STOP. NO DAMAGE. I HAD ALERTED TWR OF MY PREDICAMENT AND TOLD THEM I HAD THE FIELD MADE BEFORE LOSING RADIO CONTACT. I FEEL I CAN IMPROVE MY PREFLT HABITS TO AVOID INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF THIS SELECTOR. DESIGN OF AIRPLANE ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE ON. I HAVE ALERTED ALL OF THE OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF ACFT TO THE SPECIAL PREFLT CHK BEFORE TKOF OF THIS SELECTOR.
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.