EMER LNDG DUE FUEL CAP LEAKAGE; FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Date: 1993-02 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

EMER LNDG DUE FUEL CAP LEAKAGE; FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative

I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR APPROX 500 HRS SINCE 1984; AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBS OF THIS NATURE. ON FEB/XX/93; WE TOPPED OFF AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH ARPT; AND I PERSONALLY CHKED AND REPLACED THE FUEL CAPS. ON FEB/XY/93; AFTER COMPLETING PREFLT AND CHKING FUEL QUANTITY; WE DEPARTED NEW SMYRNA BEACH AT XA00 AM. WE INFORMED FLT FOLLOWING OF OUR RTE AND DEST OF MORRISTOWN MUNICIPAL ARPT; NJ; WITH AN ANTICIPATED FUEL STOP IN THE SOUTHERN DEL MARVA PENINSULA. THE VISIBILITY WAS BETTER THAN 20 MI WITH NO CEILING. AT APPROX 4.5 HRS INTO OUR FLT; WE WERE ABOUT TO ADVISE ZDC THAT WE WOULD LIKE A GRADUAL DSCNT FROM 7500 FT MSL INTO ACCOMACK FOR FUEL. AT THAT TIME; THE FUEL GAUGES READ 1/4 TANK REMAINING. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF PWR. WHILE ATTEMPTING A RESTART; WE CONTACTED ZDC; WHO OBTAINED CLRNC FOR US INTO LANGLEY AFB. WHEN WE WERE 3 MI OUT; ZDC ADVISED US TO CONTACT LANGLEY TWR; WHICH WE DID; AND WE WERE THEN CLRED TO LAND. AFTER REFUELING AT LANGLEY AFB; WE FLEW TO MMU; NJ; WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AS PER THE ACFT PLT'S HANDBOOK; THE PROPERLY LEANED PWR SETTING WAS 2300 RPM; 21 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE. THIS YIELDS 12.2 GALLONS PER HR; WITH AN ENDURANCE OF 6 HRS. IT IS OUR COMMON PRACTICE TO CALCULATE THAT SMA BURNS 13 GALLONS PER HR; AND ALSO ALLOW A PROPER RESERVE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT OUR APPARENT LOSS OF FUEL; AND ACCOMPANYING ERRONEOUSLY HIGH FUEL GAUGE READINGS; WERE DIRECTLY CAUSED BY LEAKING FUEL CAPS. THIS IS CORROBORATED BY THE FACT THAT THERE WERE BLUE FUEL STAINS ON THE WINGS WE DISCOVERED AT LANGLEY AFB. SINCE THE INCIDENT; ACFT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO FBO IN NJ; WHERE NEW RAISED VENTED STYLE FUEL CAPS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AS PER MANUFACTURER BULLETIN. I HAVE ALSO FILED A RPT WITH NASA IN AN EFFORT TO WARN OTHER PLTS OF THIS PROB.

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