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Pilot of an atx sel small aircraft was forced to make an off airport powerless landing after the engine quit on base leg to an uncontrolled airport. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger and only damage to the aircraft's landing gear.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 401794 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pga |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 401794 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| 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 other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
While on a 4 mi left base to runway 15 at page, az, airport, I experienced a complete loss of power at 1000 ft AGL. Since I was at a low power setting the problem was only detected by a decrease in engine noise. My first response was to switch fuel tanks. No improvement. My second thought was that the turbo charger had failed. Therefore I leaned the mixture and added full power. No improvement. Since I was at about 5500 ft MSL I did not expect an increase in manifold pressure when I added full power. When I realized I could not maintain altitude it became apparent that I would not make the runway. Since I had already arrived at best glide airspeed and was descending rapidly my focus shifted to flying the plane -- exclusively. Because of the rapidly rising terrain surrounding the airport I elected to land on a dirt road 1 mi from the airport. No persons were injured upon landing, however, gear damage was sustained by the airplane.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN ATX SEL SMA WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT POWERLESS LNDG AFTER THE ENG QUIT ON BASE LEG TO AN UNCTLED ARPT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PLT OR PAX AND ONLY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT'S LNDG GEAR.
Narrative: WHILE ON A 4 MI L BASE TO RWY 15 AT PAGE, AZ, ARPT, I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF PWR AT 1000 FT AGL. SINCE I WAS AT A LOW PWR SETTING THE PROB WAS ONLY DETECTED BY A DECREASE IN ENG NOISE. MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS. NO IMPROVEMENT. MY SECOND THOUGHT WAS THAT THE TURBO CHARGER HAD FAILED. THEREFORE I LEANED THE MIXTURE AND ADDED FULL PWR. NO IMPROVEMENT. SINCE I WAS AT ABOUT 5500 FT MSL I DID NOT EXPECT AN INCREASE IN MANIFOLD PRESSURE WHEN I ADDED FULL PWR. WHEN I REALIZED I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE THE RWY. SINCE I HAD ALREADY ARRIVED AT BEST GLIDE AIRSPD AND WAS DSNDING RAPIDLY MY FOCUS SHIFTED TO FLYING THE PLANE -- EXCLUSIVELY. BECAUSE OF THE RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN SURROUNDING THE ARPT I ELECTED TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD 1 MI FROM THE ARPT. NO PERSONS WERE INJURED UPON LNDG, HOWEVER, GEAR DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE AIRPLANE.
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.