A C180 ON DSCNT AT 4500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION CAUSED BY A LOOSE CARB MIXTURE CTL CABLE ALLOWING THE ENG TO OPERATE CONTINUOUSLY WITH A RICH MIXTURE.

Date: 1998-11 · Aircraft: Cessna 180 Skywagon

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

Synopsis

A C180 ON DSCNT AT 4500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION CAUSED BY A LOOSE CARB MIXTURE CTL CABLE ALLOWING THE ENG TO OPERATE CONTINUOUSLY WITH A RICH MIXTURE.

Narrative

DEPARTED BGR; ME; AT APPROX XA00 ENRTE TO FLORIDA WITH FIRST FUEL STOP AT LNS; PA. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AT 4500 FT FOR APPROX FIRST 2 HRS THEN STEPPING UP TO 6500 FT. WINDS WERE ABOUT AS FORECAST AND THE GPS SHOWED LNS WAS ABOUT 3 HRS 20 MINS. CRUISE PWR WAS SET AT JUST UNDER 70% CRUISE PWR. FUEL QUANTITY CHKED ABOUT WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. INITIAL DSCNT FOR LNS WAS STARTED AT ABOUT 12 NM FROM THE ARPT. AT 4500 FT THE ENG SPUTTERED A COUPLE TIMES; AT WHICH TIME FULL RICH WAS SELECTED AS WELL AS CARB HEAT. NEITHER ONE WORKED AND EMER LNDG WAS PERFORMED APPROX 8 NM NE OF LNS. A SMALL FARM ROAD WAS SELECTED AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG ENSUED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE OR ANY PROPERTY OR ME. THE FAA SHOWED UP FROM HARRISBURG -- INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE; WHICH THEY DEEMED TO BE AIRWORTHY. 20 GALLONS OF 93 OCTANE GAS WAS ADDED (ACFT WAS STC FOR AUTO GAS). AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF WAS PERFORMED FROM THE SAME FARM ROAD WHERE I LANDED AND I FINISHED THE 8 NM TO LNS ARPT. UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. TOTAL DURATION OF FIRST LEG WAS APPROX 3 HRS 20 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AS SOON AS THE ACFT GOT TO LNS; LCL MAINT CHKED THE ENG AND FOUND THE MIXTURE CTL CABLE CLAMPS LOOSE; ALLOWING THE CABLE TO MOVE TO THE RICH MIXTURE POS. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA HAS MADE CONTACT AND HAS REQUESTED COPIES OF THE LOG PAGE WITH THE REPAIR WORK ACCOMPLISHED AND THE LOGBOOK SIGNOFF.

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