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Small aircraft twin experienced fuel exhaustion starvation and performs an in-flight engine shutdown after emergency declared for landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 232037 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199301 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gfk |
| State Reference | ND |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : gfk tower : gfk |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer instruction : instructor oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 170 |
| ASRS Report | 232037 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
A private pilot with amel, CFI multi-engine rating and a nonrated private pilot on board an small aircraft twin, experienced an engine failure due to fuel starvation while on practice approach. The CFI observed the MEL student visually checking the fuel quantity on the preflight inspection and asked the student how much was in the tanks but did not personally inspect quantity. The student responded with 'up to the filler neck.' this sounded normal and the gauges in the cockpit seemed 'normal.' 2 hours and 10 mins into the flight the engine failure happened. The problem was quickly determined, the engine feathered, an emergency declared with approach control and a safe landing at the airport. Fuel quantity in the operative engine was dangerously low, only 15 mins left. This situation would have been avoided if: CFI had doubted student's rather genius response, student had 'seen' and not just 'looked.' CFI is guilty of complacency, some means of measuring fuel in tank was available.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA TWIN EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION STARVATION AND PERFORMS AN INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN AFTER EMER DECLARED FOR LNDG.
Narrative: A PRIVATE PLT WITH AMEL, CFI MULTI-ENG RATING AND A NONRATED PRIVATE PLT ON BOARD AN SMA TWIN, EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION WHILE ON PRACTICE APCH. THE CFI OBSERVED THE MEL STUDENT VISUALLY CHKING THE FUEL QUANTITY ON THE PREFLT INSPECTION AND ASKED THE STUDENT HOW MUCH WAS IN THE TANKS BUT DID NOT PERSONALLY INSPECT QUANTITY. THE STUDENT RESPONDED WITH 'UP TO THE FILLER NECK.' THIS SOUNDED NORMAL AND THE GAUGES IN THE COCKPIT SEEMED 'NORMAL.' 2 HRS AND 10 MINS INTO THE FLT THE ENG FAILURE HAPPENED. THE PROB WAS QUICKLY DETERMINED, THE ENG FEATHERED, AN EMER DECLARED WITH APCH CTL AND A SAFE LNDG AT THE ARPT. FUEL QUANTITY IN THE OPERATIVE ENG WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW, ONLY 15 MINS LEFT. THIS SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: CFI HAD DOUBTED STUDENT'S RATHER GENIUS RESPONSE, STUDENT HAD 'SEEN' AND NOT JUST 'LOOKED.' CFI IS GUILTY OF COMPLACENCY, SOME MEANS OF MEASURING FUEL IN TANK WAS AVAILABLE.
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.