1993-10 · NASA ASRS report 255340
SMA HAS ENG IDLE PROB; ENG QUITS.
I DROPPED MY ANGEL FLT PATIENT AT SAN JOSE ARPT; REFUELED AND UPON LEAVING WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP. I WAS RUSTY ON THAT PROC AND HAD TO BE PROMPTED. GND THEN APPROVED MY TAXI TO RWY 29. TO KEEP MY SPD DOWN I TWICE CLOSED MY THROTTLE AND TWICE MY ENG QUIT. I HAD TO TURN OFF MY AVIONICS TWICE BEFORE STARTING MY ENG. THE CTLR WAS IRRITATED WITH ME BECAUSE I HAD MISSED COMS AND HAD BLOCKED THE TXWY. I WAS FLYING A BORROWED PLANE FOR THIS TRIP AND I RECALLED THAT THE PRIMARY OWNER SAID SHE HAD THE CARB SET VERY LEAN TO AVOID THE PLUGS FOULING. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY CAUSING THE ENG TO QUIT WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED COMPLETELY. I PROCEEDED TO THE RWY. EVERYTHING HAD CHKED OUT ON RUNUP. JUST PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO THE RWY ENTRANCE; I RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND THE ENG BEGAN TO STOP. TO AVOID BLOCKING THE RWY I PULLED INTO THE GRASS OFF THE END OF RWY 29. THE ENG KEPT RUNNING AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS TO THE CTLR; AND TOLD HIM I WAS READY TO DEPART. THE CTLR DID QUESTION MY DECISION TO DEPART. I DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO ENGAGE IN A DETAILED EXPLANATION. I ASSURED HIM I WAS COMPETENT AND THAT THE PLANE WAS AIRWORTHY AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO DEPART. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY ABILITIES AS A PLT BUT FIRST I HAD FAILED IN COMMUNICATING WITH DEP; THE ENG QUIT TWICE AND I BLOCKED THE RWY. ADDITIONALLY; GND CTL WAS UPSET WITH ME AND; BEING IN A STRANGE ARPT AT NIGHT; ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS GET INTO THE AIR AND AWAY FROM WHAT I FELT WAS THE RIDICULE OF THE CTLRS. I FAILED TO REMEMBER THAT I WAS PIC. I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP AND PARKED; BUT FLEW TO MY HOME BASE BECAUSE I TRUST MY ABILITY IN THE AIR; IF NOT ON THE GND. I WILL BE SPENDING 2 HRS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR REVIEWING COMS PROC. THE PLANE OWNER AND THE MECH CHARGED WITH MAINTAINING HER PLANE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE ABOVE PROB.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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