M20 pilot reports engine failure during base turn resulting in landing short of runway.

Attributes
ACN	789506
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	789506
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

The flight departed at about XA15 pm (local); and arrived at ZZZ at about XD45 pm (local). The aircraft lost all engine power while on the downwind leg; shortly after the landing checklist was completed. After the engine quit; the wing-flaps were raised to the takeoff (50% down) position to extend the glide range by decreasing related drag. The aircraft was landed with the flaps at 50%. The left fuel tank of the aircraft had been previously emptied and the fuel-selector was moved to the right tank at that time. The right fuel tank contained approximately 15 gals at the time of landing (estimated on the ground after the landing). Estimating from tracks left in the sand; the aircraft apparently first touched down on an extended centerline of runway; approximately 380 ft short of the pavement. The aircraft came to a full stop on an extended centerline of runway; approximately 216 ft short of the pavement. The area of the landing site is composed of soft sand and is densely populated with large sage brush type desert vegetation and plants. While still airborne; and on approach the aircraft apparently scraped over a metal post that was part of the airport's perimeter fence system. The perimeter fence is located approximately 480 ft short of the pavement. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: there was fuel in the right tank after landing but reason for the engine quitting is not clear and still under investigation. There is a service bulletin concerning the fuel selector and the fuel selector may have played a role in this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20 PILOT REPORTS ENGINE FAILURE DURING BASE TURN RESULTING IN LANDING SHORT OF RWY.

Narrative: THE FLT DEPARTED AT ABOUT XA15 PM (LCL); AND ARRIVED AT ZZZ AT ABOUT XD45 PM (LCL). THE ACFT LOST ALL ENG PWR WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG; SHORTLY AFTER THE LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. AFTER THE ENG QUIT; THE WING-FLAPS WERE RAISED TO THE TKOF (50% DOWN) POS TO EXTEND THE GLIDE RANGE BY DECREASING RELATED DRAG. THE ACFT WAS LANDED WITH THE FLAPS AT 50%. THE L FUEL TANK OF THE ACFT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY EMPTIED AND THE FUEL-SELECTOR WAS MOVED TO THE R TANK AT THAT TIME. THE R FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROX 15 GALS AT THE TIME OF LNDG (ESTIMATED ON THE GND AFTER THE LNDG). ESTIMATING FROM TRACKS LEFT IN THE SAND; THE ACFT APPARENTLY FIRST TOUCHED DOWN ON AN EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY; APPROX 380 FT SHORT OF THE PAVEMENT. THE ACFT CAME TO A FULL STOP ON AN EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY; APPROX 216 FT SHORT OF THE PAVEMENT. THE AREA OF THE LNDG SITE IS COMPOSED OF SOFT SAND AND IS DENSELY POPULATED WITH LARGE SAGE BRUSH TYPE DESERT VEGETATION AND PLANTS. WHILE STILL AIRBORNE; AND ON APCH THE ACFT APPARENTLY SCRAPED OVER A METAL POST THAT WAS PART OF THE ARPT'S PERIMETER FENCE SYS. THE PERIMETER FENCE IS LOCATED APPROX 480 FT SHORT OF THE PAVEMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE WAS FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AFTER LANDING BUT REASON FOR THE ENGINE QUITTING IS NOT CLEAR AND STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING THE FUEL SELECTOR AND THE FUEL SELECTOR MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS INCIDENT.

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.