 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Student pilot on cross-country flight ran out of fuel on third leg returning to home airport 15 mi short. Landed in field. No damage to aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 162453 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199011 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cos |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 19 flight time total : 37 flight time type : 37 |
| ASRS Report | 162453 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
X-country from cos-laa-lhx-cos (round robin) 1:20 mins to laa, 35 mins to lhx. Flying on left tank from cos to laa to lhx switched tanks midway between lhx and cos at ordway. Strong headwind (7500' altitude). Right tank showed 10 gal plus, left tank showed 5 gal plus, approximately 15 mi east of cos arsa, engine quit. Switched tanks lost power. Landed in field, no injuries, no damage to aircraft. The winds were very strong. When leaving lhx had adequate fuel for 50 min flight to cos with reserve. Although plane indicates 6 per hour and plane was full on departure from cos, I will not fly this or a comparable plane this distance again. Plane was refueled and flown from field to cos. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. FSDO inspector from cos investigated the incident and was firm but non-belligerent. Was not too critical of student pilot but very firm with the instrument and the FBO.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: STUDENT PLT ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLT RAN OUT OF FUEL ON THIRD LEG RETURNING TO HOME ARPT 15 MI SHORT. LANDED IN FIELD. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT.
Narrative: X-COUNTRY FROM COS-LAA-LHX-COS (ROUND ROBIN) 1:20 MINS TO LAA, 35 MINS TO LHX. FLYING ON L TANK FROM COS TO LAA TO LHX SWITCHED TANKS MIDWAY BTWN LHX AND COS AT ORDWAY. STRONG HEADWIND (7500' ALT). R TANK SHOWED 10 GAL PLUS, L TANK SHOWED 5 GAL PLUS, APPROX 15 MI E OF COS ARSA, ENG QUIT. SWITCHED TANKS LOST PWR. LANDED IN FIELD, NO INJURIES, NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. THE WINDS WERE VERY STRONG. WHEN LEAVING LHX HAD ADEQUATE FUEL FOR 50 MIN FLT TO COS WITH RESERVE. ALTHOUGH PLANE INDICATES 6 PER HR AND PLANE WAS FULL ON DEP FROM COS, I WILL NOT FLY THIS OR A COMPARABLE PLANE THIS DISTANCE AGAIN. PLANE WAS REFUELED AND FLOWN FROM FIELD TO COS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. FSDO INSPECTOR FROM COS INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND WAS FIRM BUT NON-BELLIGERENT. WAS NOT TOO CRITICAL OF STUDENT PLT BUT VERY FIRM WITH THE INSTR AND THE FBO.
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.