<< >> NASA ASRS Report 148743, June 1990

Both engines failing account fuel starvation caused forced night landing off airport. Landed gear up account terrain, no injuries, aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	148743
Time
Date	199006
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jkl
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : btr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 450
ASRS Report	148743
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

En route we deviation for WX. Decided to close flight plan and refuel before destination. Vectored to airport but FBO was closed. Decided to fly to nearby airport; fuel available. Fuel gauges showed 1/4 tanks. During cruise experienced engine failure on left side. X-feed on we resumed cruise with ATC vectors to land. Then both engines failed. Tried to restart. No success. Executed forced landing in mountains, at night with fog. I kept gear up due to rough terrain. All 4 passengers were not injured. The aircraft had minor damage to propellers and belly. I believe that the inaccurate fuel gauges and a diversion around WX were the cause of the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOTH ENGINES FAILING ACCOUNT FUEL STARVATION CAUSED FORCED NIGHT LNDG OFF ARPT. LANDED GEAR UP ACCOUNT TERRAIN, NO INJURIES, ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: ENRTE WE DEV FOR WX. DECIDED TO CLOSE FLT PLAN AND REFUEL BEFORE DEST. VECTORED TO ARPT BUT FBO WAS CLOSED. DECIDED TO FLY TO NEARBY ARPT; FUEL AVAILABLE. FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 1/4 TANKS. DURING CRUISE EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE ON L SIDE. X-FEED ON WE RESUMED CRUISE WITH ATC VECTORS TO LAND. THEN BOTH ENGS FAILED. TRIED TO RESTART. NO SUCCESS. EXECUTED FORCED LNDG IN MOUNTAINS, AT NIGHT WITH FOG. I KEPT GEAR UP DUE TO ROUGH TERRAIN. ALL 4 PAXS WERE NOT INJURED. THE ACFT HAD MINOR DAMAGE TO PROPS AND BELLY. I BELIEVE THAT THE INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES AND A DIVERSION AROUND WX WERE THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.