OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY EMER LNDG PERFORMED AS SMA SUFFERS FUEL STARVATION.

Date: 1992-06 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-unspecified

Synopsis

OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY EMER LNDG PERFORMED AS SMA SUFFERS FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative

THE INCIDENT OUTLINED ABOVE OCCURRED AT THE BEGINNING OF A DSCNT TO A 3000 FT LENGTH PAVED FIELD. I HAD OVERFLOWN THE FIELD I HAD INTENDED TO LAND AT. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL MAJOR FACTORS THAT CAUSED BOTH THE OVERFLT AND THE CONFUSION AS TO WHERE THE FUEL VALVE WAS. FIRST THERE WAS A MAG THAT WAS ROUGH BUT WITHIN TOLERANCE ON THE RUN UP. SECOND WAS A DOOR THAT CRACKED OPEN SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. THIRD WAS AN OVER TALKATIVE R SEAT PAX. LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WAS MY LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT. AFTER OVERFLYING THE ARPT; PARTIALLY FROM THE ABOVE FACTORS AND PARTIALLY FROM THE USE OF A TCA CHART THAT DIDN'T HAVE MY ARPT ON IT; I TURNED THE CHART OVER AND ESTABLISHED MY LOCATION BY USE OF 2 OTHER ARPTS. I THEN PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE FIELD OF INTENDED USE WITH AN ETA OF APPROX 10 MINS. ABOUT 6 MI FROM THE FIELD THE ENG BEGAN TO FALTER. I HAD NOTICED ABOUT 15 MINS EARLIER THAT THE L TANK WAS LOW; BUT CONCERNED WITH NOT OVERFLYING THE FIELD A SECOND TIME; I CHOSE NOT TO SWITCH TANKS UNTIL ON DOWNWIND. NOW FACED WITH AN IMMINENT ENG FAILURE I BEGAN FRANTICALLY LOOKING FOR THE FUEL VALVE. I WAS UNABLE TO RECALL IT'S LOCATION DUE TO THE STRESS OF THE SITUATION. I SET UP BEST GLIDE AND CHOSE A FIELD. I THEN TURNED TO THE PAXS AND ASKED THEM TO TIGHTEN THEIR SAFETY BELTS. ON THE WAY TO THE CHOSEN FIELD A CLOSER; MORE SUITABLE FIELD CAME INTO VIEW ON MY L. I MADE A SHALLOW L TURN FOR A BASE THEN ADDED ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS. I THEN TURNED FINAL AND LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR. JUST OVER MY TOUCHDOWN POINT I ADDED REMAINING FLAPS. AFTER A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN THE ENG ONCE AGAIN BEGAN TO RUN; SO I PULLED THE MIXTURE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE HOLDING THE NOSE UP. FIELD CONDITIONS WERE ZERO WIND; SMOOTH; AND 6 INCHES OF ALFALFA GROWTH. AFTER THE PLANE STOPPED I CHKED ALL SWITCHES OFF AND THEN ASKED THE PAXS TO DEPART THE ACFT. ALL WERE ONLY SLIGHTLY SHAKEN AND UNHARMED. THE ACFT WAS THOROUGHLY CHKED AND FOUND UNDAMAGED.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.