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Aeronca 7AC, champ, student pilot experience rough running engine and power loss for short time resulting in the pilot circling a golf course in case a forced landing was necessary. In addition, his handheld radio batteries were low preventing him from declaring an emergency. He stayed over land and was able to return to his home base.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 531272 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200111 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hwo.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mia.tracon tower : ord.tower |
| Make Model Name | Aeronca Champion |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 3.5 flight time total : 162.5 |
| ASRS Report | 531272 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Weather Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Departed north perry airport (hwo) on nov/xa/01. Traveling southeast down miami beach, approximately 15 mi into flight, my engine started running rough and backfired several times. Loss of RPM -- I lost approximately 300 ft altitude. At this time I tried to contact mia approach, but battery in handheld radio failed. After circling miami beach golf course for possible landing, my engine regained RPM. For safety measures, I remained over land, proceeded south for several mi until I was certain engine would continue operating to north perry airport. At this time I changed batteries in radio and proceeded back to north perry airport. Contributing factors: loss of radio due to battery failure. Corrective actions: changed batteries -- spare. Perceptions, judgements, decisions: circled possible landing zone. Actions included checking magneto set to 'both,' checked fuel select switch -- all gauges. Factors affecting human performance: low time student pilot.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AERONCA 7AC, CHAMP, STUDENT PLT EXPERIENCE ROUGH RUNNING ENG AND PWR LOSS FOR SHORT TIME RESULTING IN THE PLT CIRCLING A GOLF COURSE IN CASE A FORCED LNDG WAS NECESSARY. IN ADDITION, HIS HANDHELD RADIO BATTERIES WERE LOW PREVENTING HIM FROM DECLARING AN EMER. HE STAYED OVER LAND AND WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO HIS HOME BASE.
Narrative: DEPARTED NORTH PERRY ARPT (HWO) ON NOV/XA/01. TRAVELING SE DOWN MIAMI BEACH, APPROX 15 MI INTO FLT, MY ENG STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND BACKFIRED SEVERAL TIMES. LOSS OF RPM -- I LOST APPROX 300 FT ALT. AT THIS TIME I TRIED TO CONTACT MIA APCH, BUT BATTERY IN HANDHELD RADIO FAILED. AFTER CIRCLING MIAMI BEACH GOLF COURSE FOR POSSIBLE LNDG, MY ENG REGAINED RPM. FOR SAFETY MEASURES, I REMAINED OVER LAND, PROCEEDED S FOR SEVERAL MI UNTIL I WAS CERTAIN ENG WOULD CONTINUE OPERATING TO NORTH PERRY ARPT. AT THIS TIME I CHANGED BATTERIES IN RADIO AND PROCEEDED BACK TO NORTH PERRY ARPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LOSS OF RADIO DUE TO BATTERY FAILURE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: CHANGED BATTERIES -- SPARE. PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS: CIRCLED POSSIBLE LNDG ZONE. ACTIONS INCLUDED CHKING MAGNETO SET TO 'BOTH,' CHKED FUEL SELECT SWITCH -- ALL GAUGES. FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: LOW TIME STUDENT PLT.
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.