 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Engine of GA small aircraft quit on takeoff due to fuel exhaustion. Pilot was able to land on the runway but damaged the propeller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 160264 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199010 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : fdk |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 143 flight time total : 670 flight time type : 550 |
| ASRS Report | 160264 |
| Person 2 | |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 143 flight time total : 670 flight time type : 550 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After an uneventful flight from W00 (freeway airport/home base) I landed and certified my VOR's at fdk. Departing runway 23, I got approximately 50' airborne when I lost power on takeoff. I was able to land safely on the same runway but because of the low clearance on small aircraft X and a lower than normal nose-down attitude I encountered a slight propeller strike. Except for slight propeller damage (the degree to which is not being checked out), no other damage was done to any person or property. The incident appears to be the result of wrong selection of fuel tanks. Thinking I was selecting the nearly full tank (2 hours fuel remaining), I mistakenly chose the nearly empty tank. The loss of power appears to be the result of sediment or low fuel availability in the tank selected for departure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENGINE OF GA SMA QUIT ON TKOF DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. PLT WAS ABLE TO LAND ON THE RWY BUT DAMAGED THE PROP.
Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM W00 (FREEWAY ARPT/HOME BASE) I LANDED AND CERTIFIED MY VOR'S AT FDK. DEPARTING RWY 23, I GOT APPROX 50' AIRBORNE WHEN I LOST PWR ON TKOF. I WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY ON THE SAME RWY BUT BECAUSE OF THE LOW CLRNC ON SMA X AND A LOWER THAN NORMAL NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE I ENCOUNTERED A SLIGHT PROP STRIKE. EXCEPT FOR SLIGHT PROP DAMAGE (THE DEG TO WHICH IS NOT BEING CHKED OUT), NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY. THE INCIDENT APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF WRONG SELECTION OF FUEL TANKS. THINKING I WAS SELECTING THE NEARLY FULL TANK (2 HRS FUEL REMAINING), I MISTAKENLY CHOSE THE NEARLY EMPTY TANK. THE LOSS OF PWR APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF SEDIMENT OR LOW FUEL AVAILABILITY IN THE TANK SELECTED FOR DEP.
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.