Narrative:

Upon completing a typical preflight; including the testing of all fuel drains for water or debris; I felt secure in my decision to fly the aircraft. Additionally; before I began my 15-20 min return flight; I could visually see a minimum 15 gals of fuel. After flying approximately 5 mins at 3000 ft MSL; I began a descent at approximately 250 FPM by reducing mp from 23/24 down to 18 inches. At approximately 2000 ft MSL the aircraft engine died/quit from what seemed as fuel starvation. Without hesitation I set optimum glide; spotted landing area in a nice big field and taking into consideration plow rows; wind; and altitude I maneuvered the aircraft in a typical downwind; base; and final. At no time did I feel my life was in danger; so I did not radio a may-day; nor attempt an engine restart. I did what I had learned long ago; fly the aircraft first. Upon performing a typical landing; neither the aircraft; myself; or any property was damaged; and I received permission from field owner that it was ok for me to land and stay overnight to further inspect the aircraft. I checked the gas lines for blockage or impurities and found nothing. I further followed due diligence and proceeded to check a theory as to the fuel starvation. In a tail down attitude; fuel flowed easily from the gascolator. However; after raising the aircraft tail for a min; the fuel flow slowed significantly to barely anything; thus proving my theory that I had fuel starvation. I was surprised to learn that with nearly a quarter tank of fuel visible in each tank that the 93 aviat husky A-1 would suffer fuel starvation in a descent. Even the operator's manual states that the 93 aviat husky has 50 usable gals of fuel in all normal flight operations. With both wings having the same amount of fuel; I drained the left wing of 5 gals; and still had plenty of visible fuel in both wings before I decided to stop draining. I felt I had found the reason for the starvation. So I had the aircraft refueled and safely flown back. Further; I plan to discuss this situation with aviat; and seek to find any other possible answers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was not inspected prior to the flight from the landing site. Later inspection determined the cause of the failure to be blockage in the front fuel pick up tubes in both wing tanks. With moderate to low amounts of fuel on board; when in a nose down attitude; the aft pick up tubes are uncovered and fuel to the engine must come through the forward tubes. The blockage would not allow adequate fuel to pass to maintain combustion. The aircraft had been recently refurbished. The refurbishment took nearly two years and the reporter believes the maintenance facility failed to take adequate pains to ensure the fuel lines were and remained clear. The incident took place with less than 20 hours of flight time since leaving the shop.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PLT OF HUSKY SUFFERS APPARENT FUEL STARVATION IN DESCENT AND LANDS IN PLOWED FIELD. DETERMINES PLENTY OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANKS.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETING A TYPICAL PREFLT; INCLUDING THE TESTING OF ALL FUEL DRAINS FOR WATER OR DEBRIS; I FELT SECURE IN MY DECISION TO FLY THE ACFT. ADDITIONALLY; BEFORE I BEGAN MY 15-20 MIN RETURN FLT; I COULD VISUALLY SEE A MINIMUM 15 GALS OF FUEL. AFTER FLYING APPROX 5 MINS AT 3000 FT MSL; I BEGAN A DSCNT AT APPROX 250 FPM BY REDUCING MP FROM 23/24 DOWN TO 18 INCHES. AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL THE ACFT ENG DIED/QUIT FROM WHAT SEEMED AS FUEL STARVATION. WITHOUT HESITATION I SET OPTIMUM GLIDE; SPOTTED LNDG AREA IN A NICE BIG FIELD AND TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION PLOW ROWS; WIND; AND ALT I MANEUVERED THE ACFT IN A TYPICAL DOWNWIND; BASE; AND FINAL. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER; SO I DID NOT RADIO A MAY-DAY; NOR ATTEMPT AN ENG RESTART. I DID WHAT I HAD LEARNED LONG AGO; FLY THE ACFT FIRST. UPON PERFORMING A TYPICAL LNDG; NEITHER THE ACFT; MYSELF; OR ANY PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED; AND I RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM FIELD OWNER THAT IT WAS OK FOR ME TO LAND AND STAY OVERNIGHT TO FURTHER INSPECT THE ACFT. I CHKED THE GAS LINES FOR BLOCKAGE OR IMPURITIES AND FOUND NOTHING. I FURTHER FOLLOWED DUE DILIGENCE AND PROCEEDED TO CHK A THEORY AS TO THE FUEL STARVATION. IN A TAIL DOWN ATTITUDE; FUEL FLOWED EASILY FROM THE GASCOLATOR. HOWEVER; AFTER RAISING THE ACFT TAIL FOR A MIN; THE FUEL FLOW SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY TO BARELY ANYTHING; THUS PROVING MY THEORY THAT I HAD FUEL STARVATION. I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT WITH NEARLY A QUARTER TANK OF FUEL VISIBLE IN EACH TANK THAT THE 93 AVIAT HUSKY A-1 WOULD SUFFER FUEL STARVATION IN A DSCNT. EVEN THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL STATES THAT THE 93 AVIAT HUSKY HAS 50 USABLE GALS OF FUEL IN ALL NORMAL FLT OPS. WITH BOTH WINGS HAVING THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL; I DRAINED THE L WING OF 5 GALS; AND STILL HAD PLENTY OF VISIBLE FUEL IN BOTH WINGS BEFORE I DECIDED TO STOP DRAINING. I FELT I HAD FOUND THE REASON FOR THE STARVATION. SO I HAD THE ACFT REFUELED AND SAFELY FLOWN BACK. FURTHER; I PLAN TO DISCUSS THIS SITUATION WITH AVIAT; AND SEEK TO FIND ANY OTHER POSSIBLE ANSWERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS NOT INSPECTED PRIOR TO THE FLT FROM THE LANDING SITE. LATER INSPECTION DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE TO BE BLOCKAGE IN THE FRONT FUEL PICK UP TUBES IN BOTH WING TANKS. WITH MODERATE TO LOW AMOUNTS OF FUEL ON BOARD; WHEN IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE; THE AFT PICK UP TUBES ARE UNCOVERED AND FUEL TO THE ENGINE MUST COME THROUGH THE FORWARD TUBES. THE BLOCKAGE WOULD NOT ALLOW ADEQUATE FUEL TO PASS TO MAINTAIN COMBUSTION. THE ACFT HAD BEEN RECENTLY REFURBISHED. THE REFURBISHMENT TOOK NEARLY TWO YEARS AND THE REPORTER BELIEVES THE MAINT FACILITY FAILED TO TAKE ADEQUATE PAINS TO ENSURE THE FUEL LINES WERE AND REMAINED CLEAR. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE WITH LESS THAN 20 HOURS OF FLT TIME SINCE LEAVING THE SHOP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.