19990923027739A

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1999, AT 1900 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT CIERNIA GLASAIR III, N153JC, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AND FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD IN SNELLING, CALIFORNIA. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE MINDEN, NEVADA, AIRPORT AT 1830, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE TOOK OFF WITH 30 GALLONS OF FUEL AND HAD THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITIONED TO "BOTH." HE STATED THAT WHILE FLYING AT 1,500 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. HE TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP AND SET UP TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DUE TO THE ROUGH TERRAIN HE OPTED TO LEAVE THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. HE PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL CAP WAS MISSING FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. HE REPORTED THAT THE CAP HAD BEEN REMO YED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT FOR MAINTENANCE PURPOSES AND STATED THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER WHETHER IT HAD BEEN REPLACED. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1999 AT ABOUT 1900 PST, WHILE ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM MINDEN NV (MEV) TO SAN LUIS OBISPO CA (SBP) A GLASAIR III, N153JC, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES NORTH OF MERCED CA (MCE) IN A COW PASTURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND NO PASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE NOTICED THE FUEL CAP ON THE LEFT WING TANK WAS MISSING APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT STARTED A DECENT FOR LANDING AT MCE AND EXPERIENCED A ENGINE FAILURE APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATD THAT HE IMMIDIATELY FEATHERED THE PROP AND COMMITTED TO AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THERE APPEARS TO BE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO N153JC AND NO OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT. (.4)ABOUT 25 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS MISSING, AND THAT FUEL WAS ESCAPING FROM THE LEFT TANK FILLER OPENING. THE PILOT SAID HE SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK, BUT THEN RETURNED THE SELECTOR TO THE BOTH POSITION. HE DESCENDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT AN AIRPORT AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE ENGINE QUIT DURING THE EN ROUTE DESCENT. HE LANDED IN A FIELD WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND IMPACTED A FENCE. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE DURING RECOVERY OPERATIONS. AS IT WAS BEING LIFTED, HE OBSERVED ABOUT 1 QUART OF FUEL DRAIN FROM THE LEFT WING TANK. WHEN THE SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO BOTH ABOUT 1 GALLON DRAINED FROM THE BELLY IN A CONTINUOUS STREAM. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AND A MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE FLIGHT, WHILE AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT THE PILOT HAD SEVERAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRED SEVERAL DAYS TO REPAIR. DURING THIS TIME AS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE BEING REPLACED, ENGINE STARTS BECAME PROBLEMATIC. THE MECHANIC PRESSURIZED THE FUEL TANK WITH AIR THROUGH THE LEFT TANK FUEL FILLER OPENING AND THE ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. THE MECHANIC SUSPECTED THAT THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED THE PILOT TO HAVE THE PUMP EXAMINED. THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH HIS FLIGHT PLANS INSTEAD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT DO HIS OWN PREFLIGHT CHECK OF THE AIRPLANE; HE ASSUMED THAT THE FUEL CAP HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THE PILOT REPLACED THE COWLING AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THREE WITNESSES WATCHED THE AIRPLANE TAXI OUT AND DEPART. NO FUEL CAPS WERE FOUND ON THE RAMP OR THE RUNWAY.