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Ag aircraft ran out of fuel. Forced landing in rough ground, tore off landing gear.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 119432 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198908 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mml |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 193 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 180 |
| ASRS Report | 119432 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Fuel exhaustion or fuel starvation, ag spraying operation. I checked fuel visually prior to takeoff and I determined that I had adequate fuel for a :45 spraying operation--and I had 35 gals indicated on fuel gauge. The spraying operation lasted about :35 or :40 and the fuel gauge indicated 20 gals, at which time the engine began to slow. I started my climb to ferry altitude. The low fuel pressure light came on at 300'. The engine quit soon after. I turned into the wind and landed, striking rough ground with left landing gear, breaking it off. I have operated this aircraft for 5 yrs and the fuel gauge has been accurate and would indicate empty when it was empty. However, on this occasion when the engine quit, the gauge was showing 20 gals. The gauge shows 5 gals now, after the tanks were drained completely dry.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AG ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. FORCED LNDG IN ROUGH GND, TORE OFF LNDG GEAR.
Narrative: FUEL EXHAUSTION OR FUEL STARVATION, AG SPRAYING OPERATION. I CHKED FUEL VISUALLY PRIOR TO TKOF AND I DETERMINED THAT I HAD ADEQUATE FUEL FOR A :45 SPRAYING OPERATION--AND I HAD 35 GALS INDICATED ON FUEL GAUGE. THE SPRAYING OPERATION LASTED ABOUT :35 OR :40 AND THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 20 GALS, AT WHICH TIME THE ENG BEGAN TO SLOW. I STARTED MY CLB TO FERRY ALT. THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AT 300'. THE ENG QUIT SOON AFTER. I TURNED INTO THE WIND AND LANDED, STRIKING ROUGH GND WITH LEFT LNDG GEAR, BREAKING IT OFF. I HAVE OPERATED THIS ACFT FOR 5 YRS AND THE FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN ACCURATE AND WOULD INDICATE EMPTY WHEN IT WAS EMPTY. HOWEVER, ON THIS OCCASION WHEN THE ENG QUIT, THE GAUGE WAS SHOWING 20 GALS. THE GAUGE SHOWS 5 GALS NOW, AFTER THE TANKS WERE DRAINED COMPLETELY DRY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.