SMA PLT DISORIENTED AND LOW ON FUEL. ON FINAL APCH ENG QUITS.
Synopsis
SMA PLT DISORIENTED AND LOW ON FUEL. ON FINAL APCH ENG QUITS.
Narrative
I PREPARED TO DEPART LINE COUNTY ARPT (5N4) ON A 255 NM XCOUNTRY TO MT AIRY/SURRY COUNTY (MWK) DIRECT PERSON COUNTY (TDF) DIRECT 5N4. FUEL GAUGES SHOWED FULL TANKS AND VISUAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF. 1 QUART OF OIL WAS ALSO ADDED. AT FULL FUEL TANKS THE SMA HAS APPROX 4 HRS FLYING TIME ACCORDING THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK. I CALCULATED A TOTAL FLYING TIME OF 3.2 HRS IN THIS XCOUNTRY. DEPARTING 5N4; I FLEW DIRECTLY TO MWK IN 45 MIN -- 65 NM -- LANDED AND DEPARTED AGAIN. I FLEW DIRECTLY TO TDF IN 50 MIN -- 76 NM -- AND DEPARTED FOR 5N4 -- 115 NM. THE HOBBS METER READ 3024.7 AT 5N4 ON DEP AND 3026.3 AT TDF. CALCULATING A RETURN TRIP OF 1.5 HR MAX; I WOULD STILL HAVE A RESERVE OF AT LEAST 30 MIN FUEL UPON LNDG. REALIZING THAT I WAS OFF COURSE AND NOT SEEING ANY FAMILIAR LANDMARKS; I BEGAN LOOKING FOR AN ARPT WITH FUEL. AFTER SEVERAL MINS I SAW A GRASS AIRSTRIP WITH 2 TRAILERS PARKED NEARBY. UPON LNDG I WENT TO EACH TRAILER AND BOTH WERE EMPTY. I THEN STOPPED A PASSING TRUCKER AND ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO A NEARBY TOWN. CONCORD WAS TO MY NW. AFTER FLYING SEVERAL MINS IN THAT DIRECTION. I DIDN'T HAVE THE TOW OR THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT THIS POINT; I CALLED CHARLOTTE. FUEL GAUGES STILL SHOWED FUEL AND MY CALCULATIONS SHOWED I HAD ENOUGH TIME (20-30 MINS) TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. IT WAS SEVERAL MINS BEFORE CHARLOTTE CALLED ME SAYING THEY SAW ME ON RADAR. I SAID I WAS LOW ON FUEL AND WAS TOLD ROWAN COUNTY ARPT WAS 8 MI TO THE N. I TOLD HIM I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. A MIN OR 2 LATER; HE SAID IT WAS AT MY 0130 O'CLOCK POS; MUCH CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT. I WAS; BY NOW; NEARLY ON TOP OF IT. STILL NOT FEELING I WAS OUT OF FUEL -- ACCORDING TO THE GAUGE AND TIME IN FLT -- I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER. ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON THE RWY AT THIS TIME. I BEGAN A SHORT PATTERN BY CUTTING ACROSS MIDFIELD TO JOIN THE DOWNWIND LEG. I CALLED UNICOM SAYING I WOULD BE LNDG AND NEEDED FUEL. AT THE MOMENT I WAS TURNING BASE AT ABOUT 700 FT; I SAW ANOTHER AIRPLANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS LISTENING FOR HIM TO STATE HIS INTENTIONS; BUT HE WASN'T ON THE RADIO. NOT KNOWING IF HE SAW ME WHEN I ANNOUNCED 'TURNING BASE;' I CONTINUED DOWNWIND UNTIL HE WAS OUT OF THE WAY. HAD I KNOW I WAS ALMOST OUT OF FUEL; I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY DECLARED AN EMER AND CUT IN FRONT OF HIM -- HOPING HE WAS LISTENING ON THE SAME FREQ. WHEN I TURNED BASE; I TOUCHED THE THROTTLE TO KEEP FROM LOSING MORE ALT AND THE ENG QUIT. ESTABLISHED A 60 KT GLIDE AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENG 2 OR 3 TIMES. THE RWY WAS TOO FAR AWAY TO REACH IN A GLIDE. I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND ONLY SAW TREES AND BUILDINGS AND A SMALL FIELD; A PORTION OF WHICH WAS UNDER WATER. I PUT IN THE LAST 20 DEGS OF FLAPS; SHUT EVERYTHING OFF; AND LANDED WITH THE NOSE HELD HIGH TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM NOSING OVER IN THE SOFT FIELD OR THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STEP; THE DOORS FLEW OPEN AND WATER SPLASHED IN. I WAS UNINJURED. I GRABBED MY GEAR AND STEPPED OUT INTO KNEE DEEP MUD AND WATER. 4 MEN WORKING NEARBY CAME RUNNING AND PULLED ME OUT OF THE MUD. THEY HEARD THE ENG QUIT AND HEARD ME TRY TO RESTART IT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.