<< >> NASA ASRS Report 386661, November 1997

Pilot of grumman cheetah on traffic watch has rough engine during initial climb. Applying carburetor heat, the engine quits. Pilot able to restore partial power and return to airport. Reporter was a passenger on this aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	386661
Time
Date	199711
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pao
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pao artcc : zjx
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	386661
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
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:

Immediately after takeoff, engine ran progressively rougher. Pilot performed emergency checklist items from memory. On application of carburetor heat, engine stopped. Approximately 6 seconds later, partial power was resumed. Pilot circled back to airport, but was too close and too high to land on runway available (runway 30). Pilot initiated go around, climbed to a safe altitude, and turned back for uneventful landing runway 12. Mechanical inspection revealed both spark plugs in #4 cylinder badly sooted with evidence of extreme heat. Conditions were favorable for carburetor ice, and heavy rain had fallen continuously the night before -- although the pilot reports no water from fuel sample and believes the aircraft not susceptible to carburetor ice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF GRUMMAN CHEETAH ON TFC WATCH HAS ROUGH ENG DURING INITIAL CLB. APPLYING CARB HEAT, THE ENG QUITS. PLT ABLE TO RESTORE PARTIAL PWR AND RETURN TO ARPT. RPTR WAS A PAX ON THIS ACFT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, ENG RAN PROGRESSIVELY ROUGHER. PLT PERFORMED EMER CHKLIST ITEMS FROM MEMORY. ON APPLICATION OF CARB HEAT, ENG STOPPED. APPROX 6 SECONDS LATER, PARTIAL PWR WAS RESUMED. PLT CIRCLED BACK TO ARPT, BUT WAS TOO CLOSE AND TOO HIGH TO LAND ON RWY AVAILABLE (RWY 30). PLT INITIATED GAR, CLBED TO A SAFE ALT, AND TURNED BACK FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG RWY 12. MECHANICAL INSPECTION REVEALED BOTH SPARK PLUGS IN #4 CYLINDER BADLY SOOTED WITH EVIDENCE OF EXTREME HEAT. CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR CARB ICE, AND HVY RAIN HAD FALLEN CONTINUOUSLY THE NIGHT BEFORE -- ALTHOUGH THE PLT RPTS NO WATER FROM FUEL SAMPLE AND BELIEVES THE ACFT NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO CARB ICE.

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.