Small aircraft aircraft on photo mission has power loss, then regained power.

Attributes
ACN	254011
Time
Date	199309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : laf
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1100 agl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : laf
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	254011
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was circling over land that a passenger wanted to photograph for his client. We had made 5 or 6 passes over this area in slow flight. I had 1 notch of flaps, nose high, and slipping to keep the strut forward. All of a sudden there was a power loss. I did the normal procedures in putting on carburetor heat, checking fuel selector, etc. The passenger took the microphone and told the tower that we had an engine problem. The engine then returned to normal power and I called the tower to tell them that we had normal power and would continue our mission. As we turned to continue I felt that slipping caused the fuel to one side of the tanks and caused the power loss. I told the passenger we were low on fuel and would abort the mission. I returned to the airport, landed, and refueled. We again departed to finish the photo mission. After we landed, the passenger became angry and said he was unhappy because we were low on fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT ON PHOTO MISSION HAS PWR LOSS, THEN REGAINED PWR.

Narrative: I WAS CIRCLING OVER LAND THAT A PAX WANTED TO PHOTOGRAPH FOR HIS CLIENT. WE HAD MADE 5 OR 6 PASSES OVER THIS AREA IN SLOW FLT. I HAD 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS, NOSE HIGH, AND SLIPPING TO KEEP THE STRUT FORWARD. ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A PWR LOSS. I DID THE NORMAL PROCS IN PUTTING ON CARB HEAT, CHKING FUEL SELECTOR, ETC. THE PAX TOOK THE MIKE AND TOLD THE TWR THAT WE HAD AN ENG PROB. THE ENG THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL PWR AND I CALLED THE TWR TO TELL THEM THAT WE HAD NORMAL PWR AND WOULD CONTINUE OUR MISSION. AS WE TURNED TO CONTINUE I FELT THAT SLIPPING CAUSED THE FUEL TO ONE SIDE OF THE TANKS AND CAUSED THE PWR LOSS. I TOLD THE PAX WE WERE LOW ON FUEL AND WOULD ABORT THE MISSION. I RETURNED TO THE ARPT, LANDED, AND REFUELED. WE AGAIN DEPARTED TO FINISH THE PHOTO MISSION. AFTER WE LANDED, THE PAX BECAME ANGRY AND SAID HE WAS UNHAPPY BECAUSE WE WERE LOW ON FUEL.

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.