BE-36 PLT HAD A FUEL TANK LEAK. HE PASSED UP 3 ARPTS TO PROCEED TO HIS POINT OF LNDG. HE RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE ON THE RWY.

Date: 2003-12 · Aircraft: Bonanza 36

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

BE-36 PLT HAD A FUEL TANK LEAK. HE PASSED UP 3 ARPTS TO PROCEED TO HIS POINT OF LNDG. HE RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE ON THE RWY.

Narrative

THE BONANZA FIRST CONTACTED OUR APCH CTL; HAVING DECLARED AN ENRTE EMER WITH THE CTR; ALMOST DIRECTLY OVERHEAD SNA ARPT AT 10500 FT. HE ADVISED US THAT HE WAS LOSING FUEL FROM HIS L TANK AND WANTED TO LAND AT TOA ARPT; APPROX 25 MI AWAY. WE SUGGESTED HE LAND AT SNA AS IT WAS CLOSER; AND THE WX WAS BETTER; BUT THE ACFT INSISTED HE WANTED TO GO TO TOA. WHEN THE ACFT CHKED IN ON MY FREQ; HE WAS STILL JUST 5 MI W OF SNA AND HAD BEGUN A RAPID DSCNT THROUGH 5000 FT. (I FOUND OUT LATER THAT HE HAD TOLD THE PREVIOUS CTLR HE WAS GOING TO DSND THROUGH A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS.) I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACFT'S ABILITY TO MAKE IT TO TOA; AND IT WAS AGAIN SUGGESTED TO THE PLT THAT SNA WAS JUST 5 MI AWAY AND IT WAS STILL 20 MI TO TOA. AGAIN THE PLT INSISTED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO TOA. THE BONANZA CONTINUED A RAPID DSCNT; AND WHEN HIS ALT REACHED 800 FT IN A 1500 FT MVA HE WAS ISSUED A LOW ALT ALERT. THE PLT RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD CLB. HE WAS THEN ISSUED A TFC ALERT WITH AN ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN AT SLI; A LARGE MIL ARPT HE WAS XING. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO THE PLT THAT HE LAND THERE. HE CONTINUED TO TOA. THE BONANZA WAS GIVEN SUGGESTED HDGS TO TOA; AS THE VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED; AND HE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT FROM 10 MI AWAY. IT WAS SUGGESTED HE LAND AT LGB 5 MI OFF HIS R SIDE; BUT HE KEPT GOING TO TOA. THE PLT WAS WARNED THAT HE WAS ENTERING AN AREA OF HIGHER TERRAIN; AND THAT TOA WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI. THE PLT STILL COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. WE GAVE HIM TO THE TWR CTLR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE TWR ADVISED US THAT THE ACFT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE RWY. THIS PLT HAD 3 ARPTS AVAILABLE TO HIM; YET HE CHOSE TO RISK HIS LIFE; HIS WIFE'S LIFE; AND NUMEROUS OTHERS ON THE GND (HE WAS OVER A VERY HIGHLY POPULATED AREA) BECAUSE HE WAS DETERMINED TO LAND AT TOA. AS FAR AS I KNOW; FSDO WAS NEVER NOTIFIED; AND ONCE AGAIN A PLT WALKS AWAY WITH NO ADMONISHMENT FOR HIS FOOLISH ACTIONS. IN MY OPINION; THIS PLT SHOULD HAVE HIS LICENSE REVOKED.

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