BROKEN FUEL LINE RESULT IN FUEL STARVATION AND FORCED LNDG ON ROAD IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Date: 1988-09 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical

Synopsis

BROKEN FUEL LINE RESULT IN FUEL STARVATION AND FORCED LNDG ON ROAD IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative

WHILE ON A VFR FLT FROM SILETZ BAY STATE ARPT; OR; TO SUN RIVER; OR; FLYING AN SMA WITH 150 HP; I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF PWR. CTL OF ACFT WAS MAINTAINED BY INITIATING EMER PROCS. NO EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC. ACFT WAS TURNED 180 DEGS BACK TOWARDS CORVALLIS VOR AND A 1200 FPM DSCNT WAS MAINTAINED. ACFT WAS VECTORED TOWARDS SWEET HOME; OR; ARPT. HOWEVER; DUE TO RATE OF DSCNT AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE FIELD. AS I CONTINUED TO LOSE ALT AND WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN PWR; I CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR LNDG SITES. AVAILABILITY OF SAFE SITE WAS LIMITED DUE TO SEVERE SLOPING AND HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN. I ONCE AGAIN CONTACTED CTLR (EUG APCH) AND ASKED FOR ALTERNATIVES. CTLR REPLIED I SHOULD LOOK FOR A ROAD IN MY VICINITY; WHICH I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE. ROAD WAS MOSTLY CURVES; HOWEVER I LOCATED A STRAIGHT SECTION AND MADE DECISION TO LAND. PWR OFF LNDG WAS MADE AVOIDING TREES; PWR LINES AND TFC. HOWEVER; ON ROLLOUT LEFT WING STRUCK METAL SNOW MARKER ON SIDE OF ROAD AND CRUMPLED LEADING EDGE. FUEL TOTALIZER INDICATED 10 GAL REMAINING. HOWEVER; TANKS DRY. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED SEPARATED FUEL CONNECTION BTWN (AUX) BELLY TANK AND RIGHT WING TANK (MAIN) CAUSING SEVERE FUEL LEAKAGE IN FLT. PROB WAS UNDETECTABLE ON GND. APPARENTLY HAPPENED IN FLT SO PREVENTIVE ACTION WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE EXCEPT BY INSPECTION AT TIME OF ANNUAL POSSIBLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN AGE OF ACFT; AGE OF FUEL TANK (AUX); INSTALLATION; RUBBER HOSE REACTION TO USE OF 100LL FUEL; CHANGE OF TEMP AFFECTING METAL PARTS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE FOR MOST PART DONE BY TRNING IN EMER PROCS. CONSTANT MENTAL REVIEW ALONG WITH PRACTICE PREPARED ME FOR THIS EVENT. AS FAR AS PERFORMANCE AS PLT IS CONCERNED; I AM PLEASED WITH THE WAY I HANDLED SITUATION AS I REMAINED IN CONTROL OF SITUATION AT ALL TIMES. CONTROL OF ACFT WAS NORMAL AND ONLY TIME ANXIETY WAS FELT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SUITABLE LNDG SPOT WAS FOUND AS I BEGAN TO VISUALIZE AND IMAGINE ENSUING CRASH AND INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND PAX (WIFE). MY PAX WAS CALM AND CTLED AND OFFERED TO ASSIST ME IN CONTROL OF ACFT AND PREPARING FOR HARD IMPACT. ATC WAS MINOR ASSISTANCE AND CTLR ON DUTY AT TIME HANDLING MY EMER DID NOT OFFER MUCH IN WAY OF ALTERNATIVES. AFTER INITIAL ALTERNATIVE ARPT WAS UNABLE TO BE MADE; ADDITIONAL COAXING FROM ME WAS NEEDED TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A ROAD WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE. RELATIVE RAPID DSCNT AND SHORT TIME ACFT REMAINED AIRBORNE MADE QUICK DECISIONS NECESSARY AND SEEMED TO PREVENT DETAILED EXAMINATION AND CONSIDERATION OF SURROUNDING TERRAIN.

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