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C140 pilot experiences engine failure on departure and manages to land on the grass next to the departure runway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 783934 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200804 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 140 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 783934 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
Before takeoff roll; fuel tank dial indicators showed 1/2 tank on left and 1/4 tank on right. Run-up was normal. After liftoff at about 500 ft AGL; the engine quit. I switched tanks and veered left to teardrop back to the runway. The engine did not restart. I felt I could not make the turn back to the runway without a stall/spin scenario. I kept straight and level just above stall and landed in grass next to field. No damage or injury. I restarted the engine and taxied back to the tie-down area. The jolt of landing caused the dial indicator on the left to read below 1/4 tank. The mechanical indicator had hung up and gave a false reading; when I banked left and switched to right tank there was not enough usable fuel when banked. This is why the engine did not restart. I now know not to trust the mechanical indicators; useless. I will check tanks with a measure stick from now on. I was lucky; hope this helps.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C140 PILOT EXPERIENCES ENGINE FAILURE ON DEPARTURE AND MANAGES TO LAND ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE DEPARTURE RWY.
Narrative: BEFORE TKOF ROLL; FUEL TANK DIAL INDICATORS SHOWED 1/2 TANK ON L AND 1/4 TANK ON R. RUN-UP WAS NORMAL. AFTER LIFTOFF AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL; THE ENG QUIT. I SWITCHED TANKS AND VEERED L TO TEARDROP BACK TO THE RWY. THE ENG DID NOT RESTART. I FELT I COULD NOT MAKE THE TURN BACK TO THE RWY WITHOUT A STALL/SPIN SCENARIO. I KEPT STRAIGHT AND LEVEL JUST ABOVE STALL AND LANDED IN GRASS NEXT TO FIELD. NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. I RESTARTED THE ENG AND TAXIED BACK TO THE TIE-DOWN AREA. THE JOLT OF LNDG CAUSED THE DIAL INDICATOR ON THE L TO READ BELOW 1/4 TANK. THE MECHANICAL INDICATOR HAD HUNG UP AND GAVE A FALSE READING; WHEN I BANKED L AND SWITCHED TO R TANK THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH USABLE FUEL WHEN BANKED. THIS IS WHY THE ENG DID NOT RESTART. I NOW KNOW NOT TO TRUST THE MECHANICAL INDICATORS; USELESS. I WILL CHK TANKS WITH A MEASURE STICK FROM NOW ON. I WAS LUCKY; HOPE THIS HELPS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.