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Pilot of an small aircraft single engine land aircraft made a forced landing due to engine failure caused by fuel starvation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 251369 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199308 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : brl |
| State Reference | IA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 56 flight time total : 590 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 251369 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : insufficient time other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During en route fuel management, an effort was made to exhaust the fuel in the right wing bay. At the first indication of fuel depletion, the fuel selector valve was moved to the left bay position and the fuel pump was turned on until smooth engine operation had been established and then the fuel pump was turned off. The engine ran smoothly thereafter for approximately 2- 3 mins and the stopped abruptly. Turning on the fuel pump failed to restart the engine and a successful forced landing was made with gear down. The landing field was quite short and the rollout ended a short distance into a corn field. 1 hour's fuel remained in the left tank. If more altitude had been available, a successful engine restart may have been possible. The engine was fuel injected. A probable cause was a fuel vapor lock.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT MADE A FORCED LNDG DUE TO ENG FAILURE CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.
Narrative: DURING ENRTE FUEL MGMNT, AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO EXHAUST THE FUEL IN THE R WING BAY. AT THE FIRST INDICATION OF FUEL DEPLETION, THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS MOVED TO THE L BAY POS AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED ON UNTIL SMOOTH ENG OP HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THEN THE FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED OFF. THE ENG RAN SMOOTHLY THEREAFTER FOR APPROX 2- 3 MINS AND THE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. TURNING ON THE FUEL PUMP FAILED TO RESTART THE ENG AND A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG WAS MADE WITH GEAR DOWN. THE LNDG FIELD WAS QUITE SHORT AND THE ROLLOUT ENDED A SHORT DISTANCE INTO A CORN FIELD. 1 HR'S FUEL REMAINED IN THE L TANK. IF MORE ALT HAD BEEN AVAILABLE, A SUCCESSFUL ENG RESTART MAY HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. THE ENG WAS FUEL INJECTED. A PROBABLE CAUSE WAS A FUEL VAPOR LOCK.
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.