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Engine of small aircraft quit approximately 5 mi from airport. Pilot was able to glide to uneventful landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 200026 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199201 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mor |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 7500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 200026 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departed on a 3:30 hour flight. Before departure checked the fuel. Seemed to be topped off, but I guess I was mistaken. I didn't trust the fuel gauges because I should have had over 5 hours of fuel at my cruising altitude. After 3 1/2 hours aloft, I was within 5 mi of the airport at 7500 ft when the engine quit. I glided to a safe landing. Contributing factors: had not flown this type of aircraft in over a yr. Should have trusted the fuel gauges. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter made too casual an inspection of fuel on board. Thought he had been topped off but had not. Did not personally inspect the tanks. Fuel gauges notoriously erroneous. Runway lights were on and in sight when the engine quit. Company has fired the reporter because of the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENG OF SMA QUIT APPROX 5 MI FROM ARPT. PLT WAS ABLE TO GLIDE TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG.
Narrative: DEPARTED ON A 3:30 HR FLT. BEFORE DEP CHKED THE FUEL. SEEMED TO BE TOPPED OFF, BUT I GUESS I WAS MISTAKEN. I DIDN'T TRUST THE FUEL GAUGES BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE HAD OVER 5 HRS OF FUEL AT MY CRUISING ALT. AFTER 3 1/2 HRS ALOFT, I WAS WITHIN 5 MI OF THE ARPT AT 7500 FT WHEN THE ENG QUIT. I GLIDED TO A SAFE LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HAD NOT FLOWN THIS TYPE OF ACFT IN OVER A YR. SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED THE FUEL GAUGES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR MADE TOO CASUAL AN INSPECTION OF FUEL ON BOARD. THOUGHT HE HAD BEEN TOPPED OFF BUT HAD NOT. DID NOT PERSONALLY INSPECT THE TANKS. FUEL GAUGES NOTORIOUSLY ERRONEOUS. RWY LIGHTS WERE ON AND IN SIGHT WHEN THE ENG QUIT. COMPANY HAS FIRED THE RPTR BECAUSE 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.