FUEL EXHAUSTION IN SMA SETS PLT UP FOR EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.
Synopsis
FUEL EXHAUSTION IN SMA SETS PLT UP FOR EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.
Narrative
ON APR/MON/92 I RECEIVED A CHKOUT FLT IN SMA (160 HP) AT DEER VALLEY ARPT. IT LASTED ABOUT 1 HR 45 MIN. AFTER THE CHKOUT; I TOOK A 1 HR PRIVATE FLT ON ANOTHER SMA (160 HP). FRI/APR/92 I RENTED AN SMA (180 HP) TO MAKE A TRIP TO THE MONUMENT VALLEY. THE DAY BEFORE; I PLOTTED THE COURSES ON THE MAP AND MEASURED THE DISTANCES. FRI MORNING I CHKED THE FORECAST WINDS WHICH WERE FROM THE SW TO W. I ALSO CHKED THE FUEL FLOW FOR THE ALT IN THE POH THAT WAS IN THE AIRPLANE. THE TABLE SHOWED 7.4 US GALLONS/HR; HOWEVER; TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE; I USED 8 GALLONS/HR. USING 40 GALLONS USABLE FUEL MINUS A CERTAIN AMOUNT FOR THE RUNUP AND CLB FUEL; I CALCULATED THAT I CAN GO AT LEAST 4 HRS. INCLUDING WINDS AND PWR SETTING IN MY CALCULATION; I COMPUTED A 3 HR 30 MIN DURATION OF THE FLT FROM DEER VALLEY TO MONUMENT VALLEY. AS WE REACHED THE MONUMENT VALLEY AREA; THE INDICATORS WERE AT HALF FULL POS AFTER APPROX 2 HRS FLT; THE POINTERS STARTED TO JUMP AROUND HALF FULL POS. I BECAME CONCERNED AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO WINSLOW WHICH WOULD BE APPROX 1 HR 15 MIN OF FLT. HALF WAY BTWN THE VALLEY AND WINSLOW; THE POINTERS JUMPED BTWN 5-10 GALLONS ON EACH TANK AND SHORTLY AFTER; BTWN 0-5 GALLONS. WHEN WE WERE 35 NM FROM WINSLOW VOR; I GOT THE FIRST DME INDICATION; AND THE POINTER OF THE R FUEL SELECTOR JUMPED TO ZERO. WHEN WE WERE 16 NM N OF WINSLOW VOR; THE ENG QUIT. BOTH INDICATORS WERE ZERO. SO I STARTED THE EMER PROC; PLANNING TO LAND ON A DIRT STRIP AND CALLED THE TFC IN THE WINSLOW PATTERN. AFTER I LOST APPROX 1000 FT; THE ENG (WE WERE AT 8500 FT) CAME BACK AGAIN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN; THE R INDICATOR SHOWED 5 GALLONS AGAIN. I CALCULATED AGAIN AND WAS PRETTY SURE THAT WE COULD REACH WINSLOW NOW. I ASSUMED THE FUEL MUST HAVE STUCK IN THE SYS SOMEWHERE; SO I CALLED WINSLOW AND TOLD THEM. WHEN WE WERE 9 NM N OF THE VOR; THE ENG QUIT AGAIN AND DID NOT COME BACK THIS TIME. I CALLED WINSLOW TFC AND TOLD AN SMA IN THE PATTERN OUR POS. AT PM15 I LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON A DUST STRIP IN THE NAVAJO INDIAN RESERVATION. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE PLANE WAS NOT HURT. AFTER 5 MIN; THE SMA FROM WINSLOW CIRCLED OVER OUR HEADS; TELLING US HE WOULD CALL FOR HELP. 1 HR LATER; THE SHERIFF FROM WINSLOW CAME AND TOOK OR IDENT'S AND LICENSE NUMBERS. HE CONTACTED THE FAA; BUT THEY DECIDED NOT TO COME OUT AND SAID I CAN TKOF AGAIN; CALL THEM THE NEXT MORNING. THE SHERIFF EMPHASIZED THAT I MUST TKOF AGAIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE INDIANS WOULD EITHER STEAL OR BURN THE AIRPLANE IF I LEAVE IT OUT THERE FOR THE NIGHT. SO I WAS AFRAID AND WE WENT TO WINSLOW TO DROP MY PAX AND GET FUEL. AFTER WE GOT BACK TO THE AIRPLANE; IT WAS ALREADY DARK. I KNEW I WAS IN THE VICINITY OF WINSLOW ARPT (BEACON IN SIGHT) AND AFTER CHKING THE STRIP IN THE LIGHTS OF THE POLICE CAR; I TOOK OFF AFTER I DID A VERY LONG RUNUP. THE POLICE CAR ILLUMINATED THE STRIP DURING THE SOFT FIELD TKOF. I LANDED IN WINSLOW 5 MIN AFTER. WE REFUELED AND FLEW BACK TO DEER VALLEY THE NEXT MORNING. AT DEER VALLEY THEY TOLD ME THAT THE NUMBERS IN THE POH I HAD WERE NOT THE RIGHT ONES FOR THE SMA (180 HP).
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.