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M20C pilot reports fuel selector freezing in the off position during tank switching; resulting in off airport landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 774933 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200502 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 B/C Ranger |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 774933 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During a flight check of recently installed GPS equipment; the fuel selector was switched from the right tank to the left tank so that aircraft would be on fullest tank for the planned practice approachs. The fuel selector jammed in the center (off) position. Attempts to un-jam it by myself (pilot) and by my onboard mechanic were to no avail. An emergency landing was performed on a sparsely settled road. Minor damage to the left wingtip from mailbox. Right aileron damaged by edge of ditch. No injuries. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the defective selector has been replaced and an attempt to disassemble the old selector has been unsuccessful. The exact mode of failure of this unit remains unknown.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: M20C PILOT REPORTS FUEL SELECTOR FREEZING IN THE OFF POSITION DURING TANK SWITCHING; RESULTING IN OFF ARPT LANDING.
Narrative: DURING A FLT CHK OF RECENTLY INSTALLED GPS EQUIP; THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SWITCHED FROM THE R TANK TO THE L TANK SO THAT ACFT WOULD BE ON FULLEST TANK FOR THE PLANNED PRACTICE APCHS. THE FUEL SELECTOR JAMMED IN THE CTR (OFF) POS. ATTEMPTS TO UN-JAM IT BY MYSELF (PLT) AND BY MY ONBOARD MECH WERE TO NO AVAIL. AN EMER LNDG WAS PERFORMED ON A SPARSELY SETTLED ROAD. MINOR DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP FROM MAILBOX. R AILERON DAMAGED BY EDGE OF DITCH. NO INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THE DEFECTIVE SELECTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND AN ATTEMPT TO DISASSEMBLE THE OLD SELECTOR HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THE EXACT MODE OF FAILURE OF THIS UNIT REMAINS UNKNOWN.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.