HOME BUILT TURBO PROP MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG WHEN PLT IS UNABLE TO ACCESS FUEL IN TANK WITH MALFUNCTIONING VENTING SYSTEM.
Synopsis
HOME BUILT TURBO PROP MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG WHEN PLT IS UNABLE TO ACCESS FUEL IN TANK WITH MALFUNCTIONING VENTING SYSTEM.
Narrative
IN CRUISE FLT AT 10000 FT; THE FUEL FLOW FROM A TANK CONTAINING 70 GALLONS OF JET A REFUSED TO FLOW AND RESULTED IN A LOW FUEL WARNING FROM THE HEADER TANK. WITH THE LACK OF FUEL FLOW; IT GIVES ABOUT 15 MINS OF FUEL TO LAND. I DECLARED A FUEL RELATED EMER AND FLEW AN EMER ILS APCH INTO ZZZ IN LOW IFR CONDITIONS. THE FLT WAS NEVER IN ANY DANGER AS LONG AS I LANDED WITHIN 15 MINS. A GAS CAP SEAL WAS FOUND TO HAVE PARTIALLY UNSEATED AND RESULTED IN A VENTING PROB FOR THAT TANK. IT HAS BEEN RECTIFIED. THE LOW IMC WAS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DIFFICULTY OF THE SITUATION AND THE INABILITY TO CONTINUE FLT WITHOUT IMPLEMENTING A CORRECTIVE ACTION. ALL APCH CHARTS AND ENRTE L CHARTS WERE ON BOARD AND CURRENT; THE CTLR WAS IMPECCABLE IN HER ASSISTANCE TO GETTING ME QUICKLY ONTO THE APCH AND AN UNEVENTFUL OUTCOME. AFTER CORRECTIVE ACTION; THE REST OF THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED SAFELY AFTER THE WX CONDITIONS IMPROVED. THIS WAS THE FIRST EMER I HAVE EVER DECLARED AND CHOSE TO DECLARE IT DUE TO THE DIFFICULT WX CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A MISSED APCH AND A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. IF I WAS IN VMC; I WOULD HAVE MADE A QUICK LNDG UNDER VISUAL CONDITIONS AND NOT NEEDED TO DECLARE AN EMER.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.