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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A hot air balloon pilot, flying a cameron V77, found that he was unable to draw fuel from one of his tanks. The shut off valve in the quick disconnect fuel fittings had shut off the fuel flow. Aircraft fuel equipment problem the quick disconnect fitting can back off and shut off the fuel.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 346499 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199609 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rno |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1100 agl bound upper : 1100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 650 |
| ASRS Report | 346499 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was flying at a special event activity with 2 passenger. I had been flying on my 'slave' fuel tanks. When I attempted to burn from my 'master' tank, there was silence! As I was down by 1/3 on my fuel immediately I elected to land as soon as possible. This required low flight over homes to land in an empty flood control basin. When my ground crew chief, an experienced aeronaut, arrived at the balloon, he tightened the quick-disconnect fitting by hand and I was able to pass gas again. This was the first flight after an annual inspection. All fuel fittings had been properly lubricated. Apparently the fitting, which had been tested on the ground, backed off in flight allowing the internal check valves to shut off all fuel flow. If the fuel system is put together with a twist in the fuel hoses, a well lubricated fitting can back off by itself.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT, FLYING A CAMERON V77, FOUND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DRAW FUEL FROM ONE OF HIS TANKS. THE SHUT OFF VALVE IN THE QUICK DISCONNECT FUEL FITTINGS HAD SHUT OFF THE FUEL FLOW. ACFT FUEL EQUIP PROB THE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING CAN BACK OFF AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING AT A SPECIAL EVENT ACTIVITY WITH 2 PAX. I HAD BEEN FLYING ON MY 'SLAVE' FUEL TANKS. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BURN FROM MY 'MASTER' TANK, THERE WAS SILENCE! AS I WAS DOWN BY 1/3 ON MY FUEL IMMEDIATELY I ELECTED TO LAND ASAP. THIS REQUIRED LOW FLT OVER HOMES TO LAND IN AN EMPTY FLOOD CTL BASIN. WHEN MY GND CREW CHIEF, AN EXPERIENCED AERONAUT, ARRIVED AT THE BALLOON, HE TIGHTENED THE QUICK-DISCONNECT FITTING BY HAND AND I WAS ABLE TO PASS GAS AGAIN. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. ALL FUEL FITTINGS HAD BEEN PROPERLY LUBRICATED. APPARENTLY THE FITTING, WHICH HAD BEEN TESTED ON THE GND, BACKED OFF IN FLT ALLOWING THE INTERNAL CHK VALVES TO SHUT OFF ALL FUEL FLOW. IF THE FUEL SYS IS PUT TOGETHER WITH A TWIST IN THE FUEL HOSES, A WELL LUBRICATED FITTING CAN BACK OFF BY ITSELF.
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.