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A PA23 cargo pilot determines that his left outboard main tank is siphoning fuel on a night operation east of pro, ia.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 607070 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pro.airport |
| State Reference | IA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Weather Elements | Snow |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dsm.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | PA-23-250 Turbo Aztec |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2368 flight time type : 445 |
| ASRS Report | 607070 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel gdge other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Left engine began to 'surge' due to loss of fuel flow over carroll, ia. I then switched to outboards that should've had over 2 hours 30 mins of fuel. When east of perry, ia, the left engine began to surge again and the fuel indicator on left side showed very little fuel, so I entered xfeed and informed ATC of our situation and informed them we needed to turn around to perry, ia, to get some more fuel. When I used a flashlight and looked at the fuel cap on the left outboard and saw that there was fuel spraying out of the cap and was siphoning fuel out of the tank. Upon refueling we filled up the outboards and put that cap on the inboard to prevent more siphoning. Today, feb/tue/04, our mechanic has ordered a new fuel cap and has replaced the malfunctioning one with another plane's until the new one arrives.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA23 CARGO PLT DETERMINES THAT HIS L OUTBOARD MAIN TANK IS SIPHONING FUEL ON A NIGHT OP E OF PRO, IA.
Narrative: L ENG BEGAN TO 'SURGE' DUE TO LOSS OF FUEL FLOW OVER CARROLL, IA. I THEN SWITCHED TO OUTBOARDS THAT SHOULD'VE HAD OVER 2 HRS 30 MINS OF FUEL. WHEN E OF PERRY, IA, THE L ENG BEGAN TO SURGE AGAIN AND THE FUEL INDICATOR ON L SIDE SHOWED VERY LITTLE FUEL, SO I ENTERED XFEED AND INFORMED ATC OF OUR SIT AND INFORMED THEM WE NEEDED TO TURN AROUND TO PERRY, IA, TO GET SOME MORE FUEL. WHEN I USED A FLASHLIGHT AND LOOKED AT THE FUEL CAP ON THE L OUTBOARD AND SAW THAT THERE WAS FUEL SPRAYING OUT OF THE CAP AND WAS SIPHONING FUEL OUT OF THE TANK. UPON REFUELING WE FILLED UP THE OUTBOARDS AND PUT THAT CAP ON THE INBOARD TO PREVENT MORE SIPHONING. TODAY, FEB/TUE/04, OUR MECH HAS ORDERED A NEW FUEL CAP AND HAS REPLACED THE MALFUNCTIONING ONE WITH ANOTHER PLANE'S UNTIL THE NEW ONE ARRIVES.
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.