PLT OF AN SMA SEL DECLARED AN EMER TO ATC AFTER THE ENG QUIT DURING CRUISE FLT. HE WAS GIVEN A FLT ASSIST TO THE NEAREST ARPT AT WHICH A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG WAS MADE.

Date: 1998-02 · Aircraft: Amateur/Home Built/Experimental

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

Synopsis

PLT OF AN SMA SEL DECLARED AN EMER TO ATC AFTER THE ENG QUIT DURING CRUISE FLT. HE WAS GIVEN A FLT ASSIST TO THE NEAREST ARPT AT WHICH A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG WAS MADE.

Narrative

DEPARTED 3G3; WADSWORTH; OH; ON A VFR FLT PLAN TO OXC TO VISIT RELATIVES. WX WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY BETTER THAN 10 MI. APPROX 10-11 MI W OF WILKES BARRE; WHILE GETTING FLT ADVISORIES FROM APCH CTL; THE ENG SUDDENLY SEIZED. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED TO 85 KTS GLIDE SPD; AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH WILKES BARRE APCH CTL. THE CTLR RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY; ASKED FOR NUMBER ON BOARD AND INTENTIONS. I TOLD HIM I HAD THE WILKES BARRE/SCRANTON ARPT IN SIGHT; AND WOULD PROCEED DIRECT TOWARDS IT. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT THE WYOMING VALLEY ARPT WAS IN MY 2 O'CLOCK POS; AND ABOUT 2-3 MI CLOSER. INITIALLY; I DID NOT HAVE THIS ARPT IN SIGHT AND CONTINUED DIRECT TO WILKES BARRE. ONE ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RESTART THE ENG; BUT IT HAD SEIZED AND WOULD NOT TURN. THIS ATTEMPT PULLED BATTERY VOLTAGE DOWN; AND I MOMENTARILY LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH WILKES BARRE APCH. RECYCLING THE BATTERY SWITCH FIXED THE PROB. AFTER I RE-ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT; I PICKED UP WYOMING VALLEY ARPT; AND TURNED TOWARDS IT BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSER; AND I KNEW I COULD MAKE THE RWY WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE. I THEN TOLD THE CTLR OF MY DECISION. HE ASKED IF I NEEDED ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE. I SAID NO AND HE GAVE ME VALLEY'S UNICOM FREQ. I SWITCHED FREQS; ANNOUNCED MY ARR; AND SOMEONE SAID I COULD LAND IN ANY DIRECTION I CHOSE. THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I ROLLED CLR OF THE RWY AT THE END. I CALLED WILKES BARRE APCH WHEN ON THE GND; TOLD THEM I WAS SAFELY DOWN. THEY ASKED I CALL THEM ON LANDLINE LATER; WHICH I DID. THEY JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS ALRIGHT. I ALSO CALLED THE TIE-IN FSS AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. THE WILKES BARRE CTLR HANDLING MY EMER IS TO BE COMPLIMENTED ON POINTING OUT THE CLOSER ARPT; KEEPING ME ADVISED OF ITS POS; AND PROVIDING JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.

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