 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Pilot of an amateur small aircraft sel aircraft had the engine quit during an IFR departure due to forgetting to switch fuel tanks.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 320368 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199511 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bnt airport : bfi |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sea tower : pit |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Amateur (Home) Built |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other other |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 320368 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| 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 flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Occasionally (approximately once per yr), I will start my glasair III using my 6 gallon header tank. On nov/95 I did this, but failed to return the selector to the main tank prior to takeoff. I departed on an IFR flight plan and was in IMC by 1200 ft AGL. While leveling off at 3000 ft MSL, the engine stopped. I turned on the fuel pump, enrichened the mixture, increased the throttle and then told seattle approach I had lost power and was declaring an emergency. I was given a vector to renton field which was 1 mi away. I was still in IMC. After turning to my renton heading and struggling with the now partial panel instruments (vacuum pump inoperative without engine), I reached down for the fuel selector and switched to the main tank. Within 5 seconds, the engine was back. I simultaneously entered VFR conditions over renton field at 1000 ft AGL/MSL. I told ZSE I had power back and would continue to boeing field. Uneventful approach and landing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN AMATEUR SMA SEL ACFT HAD THE ENG QUIT DURING AN IFR DEP DUE TO FORGETTING TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS.
Narrative: OCCASIONALLY (APPROX ONCE PER YR), I WILL START MY GLASAIR III USING MY 6 GALLON HEADER TANK. ON NOV/95 I DID THIS, BUT FAILED TO RETURN THE SELECTOR TO THE MAIN TANK PRIOR TO TKOF. I DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND WAS IN IMC BY 1200 FT AGL. WHILE LEVELING OFF AT 3000 FT MSL, THE ENG STOPPED. I TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP, ENRICHENED THE MIXTURE, INCREASED THE THROTTLE AND THEN TOLD SEATTLE APCH I HAD LOST PWR AND WAS DECLARING AN EMER. I WAS GIVEN A VECTOR TO RENTON FIELD WHICH WAS 1 MI AWAY. I WAS STILL IN IMC. AFTER TURNING TO MY RENTON HDG AND STRUGGLING WITH THE NOW PARTIAL PANEL INSTS (VACUUM PUMP INOP WITHOUT ENG), I REACHED DOWN FOR THE FUEL SELECTOR AND SWITCHED TO THE MAIN TANK. WITHIN 5 SECONDS, THE ENG WAS BACK. I SIMULTANEOUSLY ENTERED VFR CONDITIONS OVER RENTON FIELD AT 1000 FT AGL/MSL. I TOLD ZSE I HAD PWR BACK AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BOEING FIELD. UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG.
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.