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Operating a BE35 equipped with tip tanks with which he was not familiar; an instructor pilot declared an emergency when the engine failed due to fuel starvation. He then rescinded the declaration upon selecting another tank which was not empty.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 929857 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201101 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Bonanza 35 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Descent |
| Route In Use | Direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Fuel Distribution System |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Instructor Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40 Flight Crew Total 2500 Flight Crew Type 400 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue |
Narrative:
I was training a low time pilot in his first complex airplane. The bonanza that we were flying was using an older type of 20 gallon tip tanks that I was not used to although I had studied the supplement describing their operation. They are gravity feed directly from the tip tanks instead of the later model electric fuel pump type. The cross feed was not working so we were supplying fuel to the engine directly from the left tip tank.the new owner was asking me about descent and manifold pressure calculations. I failed to realize that we had used all of the fuel from the left tip tank. The engine quit and I announced 'emergency'! At that time the engine started running again. ATC queried; 'understand you want to declare an emergency'? I advised; 'negative but we would like to turn towards the runway'. She cleared us as requested. We figured out the problem and switched tanks; advised ATC we had the problem under control and landed without incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Operating a BE35 equipped with tip tanks with which he was not familiar; an instructor pilot declared an emergency when the engine failed due to fuel starvation. He then rescinded the declaration upon selecting another tank which was not empty.
Narrative: I was training a low time pilot in his first complex airplane. The Bonanza that we were flying was using an older type of 20 gallon tip tanks that I was not used to although I had studied the supplement describing their operation. They are gravity feed directly from the tip tanks instead of the later model electric fuel pump type. The cross feed was not working so we were supplying fuel to the engine directly from the left tip tank.The new owner was asking me about descent and manifold pressure calculations. I failed to realize that we had used all of the fuel from the left tip tank. The engine quit and I announced 'emergency'! At that time the engine started running again. ATC queried; 'understand you want to declare an emergency'? I advised; 'negative but we would like to turn towards the runway'. She cleared us as requested. We figured out the problem and switched tanks; advised ATC we had the problem under control and landed without incident.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.