BE23 on local training flight experienced engine failure on downwind; post inspection revealed fuel ...

Attributes
ACN	803272
Time
Date	200809
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aeg.airport
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl single value : 6800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Sundowner 23
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
ASRS Report	803272
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During a local training flight at an uncontrolled field (aeg) the training aircraft lost engine power due to fuel mismgmnt. The aircraft was burning fuel off its right fuel tank which according to fuel gauge indications contained nearly 1/4 tank of fuel. Preflight inspection of the fuel levels confirmed sufficient fuel for the hour long flight. Training was being conducted in the traffic pattern and upon reaching the downwind leg of the 5TH circuit in the pattern; the engine sputtered and lost power. The instructor (reporter) took controls of the aircraft and immediately began a gliding turn for runway 22. There was a mooney in the flare on the same runway. The instructor pilot requested that the mooney go around and he complied. The emergency aircraft landed uneventfully without engine power and coasted clear of runway 22 where it was retrieved by a tow vehicle. Upon inspection after landing; it appears that the right fuel tank was run dry and that return fuel from the right tank was pumped into the left tank and was unavailable to the engine in-flight. Future preflight measures will be extra thorough in determining the accurate fuel level of the aircraft to ensure fuel will be available to the aircraft from both fuel tanks. The student's improper fuel management and the instructor pilot's failure to notice or correct the problem will also be addressed and remedied.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE23 ON LCL TRAINING FLT EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE ON DOWNWIND; POST INSPECTION REVEALED FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: DURING A LCL TRAINING FLT AT AN UNCTLED FIELD (AEG) THE TRAINING ACFT LOST ENG PWR DUE TO FUEL MISMGMNT. THE ACFT WAS BURNING FUEL OFF ITS R FUEL TANK WHICH ACCORDING TO FUEL GAUGE INDICATIONS CONTAINED NEARLY 1/4 TANK OF FUEL. PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE FUEL LEVELS CONFIRMED SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE HR LONG FLT. TRAINING WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN THE TFC PATTERN AND UPON REACHING THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE 5TH CIRCUIT IN THE PATTERN; THE ENG SPUTTERED AND LOST PWR. THE INSTRUCTOR (RPTR) TOOK CTLS OF THE ACFT AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A GLIDING TURN FOR RWY 22. THERE WAS A MOONEY IN THE FLARE ON THE SAME RWY. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT REQUESTED THAT THE MOONEY GO AROUND AND HE COMPLIED. THE EMER ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY WITHOUT ENG PWR AND COASTED CLR OF RWY 22 WHERE IT WAS RETRIEVED BY A TOW VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION AFTER LNDG; IT APPEARS THAT THE R FUEL TANK WAS RUN DRY AND THAT RETURN FUEL FROM THE R TANK WAS PUMPED INTO THE L TANK AND WAS UNAVAILABLE TO THE ENG INFLT. FUTURE PREFLT MEASURES WILL BE EXTRA THOROUGH IN DETERMINING THE ACCURATE FUEL LEVEL OF THE ACFT TO ENSURE FUEL WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE ACFT FROM BOTH FUEL TANKS. THE STUDENT'S IMPROPER FUEL MGMNT AND THE INSTRUCTOR PLT'S FAILURE TO NOTICE OR CORRECT THE PROB WILL ALSO BE ADDRESSED AND REMEDIED.

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.

BE23 on local training flight experienced engine failure on downwind; post inspection revealed fuel starvation.