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A B55 lands on a private drag strip with both engines feathered suspecting fuel contamination only to find fuel source selected was an empty tank.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 629971 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200409 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hfd.airport |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl single value : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Baron 55/Cochise |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 629971 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Upon takeoff roll, right engine suffered fuel starvation (vapor lock) just prior to takeoff. Aborted takeoff, advised tower of situation. Taxied back, checked detent of fuel selectors, turned on boost pumps -- low, did 100% power check -- all ok. Normal departure. 20 mins later in cruise, right engine fuel flow began to fluctuate and engine surged. Checked fuel pump and switched to high -- no change, feather right left engine simultaneously, lost fuel flow and power. Assuming severe fuel contamination, dead sticked aircraft into private 2000 ft drag strip. Fuel gauges still above 3/4, drained fuel again, all ok. Got back into aircraft, checked detent on selectors again to find this baron had 2 position -- auxiliary and main. Back selectors were in auxiliary detent, auxiliary tanks dry. Conducted thorough preflight, mechanically checked fuel selector valves were solidly on detent. Drained fuel tanks and proceeded to start checklist. All system normal. Selected main tanks, primed, did run-up checklist and departed 2000 ft strip uneventfully. Landed at destination uneventfully, all system normal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B55 LANDS ON A PVT DRAG STRIP WITH BOTH ENGS FEATHERED SUSPECTING FUEL CONTAMINATION ONLY TO FIND FUEL SOURCE SELECTED WAS AN EMPTY TANK.
Narrative: UPON TKOF ROLL, R ENG SUFFERED FUEL STARVATION (VAPOR LOCK) JUST PRIOR TO TKOF. ABORTED TKOF, ADVISED TWR OF SIT. TAXIED BACK, CHKED DETENT OF FUEL SELECTORS, TURNED ON BOOST PUMPS -- LOW, DID 100% PWR CHK -- ALL OK. NORMAL DEP. 20 MINS LATER IN CRUISE, R ENG FUEL FLOW BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE AND ENG SURGED. CHKED FUEL PUMP AND SWITCHED TO HIGH -- NO CHANGE, FEATHER R L ENG SIMULTANEOUSLY, LOST FUEL FLOW AND PWR. ASSUMING SEVERE FUEL CONTAMINATION, DEAD STICKED ACFT INTO PVT 2000 FT DRAG STRIP. FUEL GAUGES STILL ABOVE 3/4, DRAINED FUEL AGAIN, ALL OK. GOT BACK INTO ACFT, CHKED DETENT ON SELECTORS AGAIN TO FIND THIS BARON HAD 2 POS -- AUX AND MAIN. BACK SELECTORS WERE IN AUX DETENT, AUX TANKS DRY. CONDUCTED THOROUGH PREFLT, MECHANICALLY CHKED FUEL SELECTOR VALVES WERE SOLIDLY ON DETENT. DRAINED FUEL TANKS AND PROCEEDED TO START CHKLIST. ALL SYS NORMAL. SELECTED MAIN TANKS, PRIMED, DID RUN-UP CHKLIST AND DEPARTED 2000 FT STRIP UNEVENTFULLY. LANDED AT DEST UNEVENTFULLY, ALL SYS NORMAL.
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.