What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A telephone conversation with the pilot indicated that the flight originated at the tri-cities airport, johnson city Tennessee. He was to fly to knoxville, TN, and return to tri-cities. His passenger on the leg to knoxville was his wife. The flight back to tri-cities would include his father, which was schedule for cancer treatment. He landed in knoxville, TN routinely. Upon pre-flight for departure back to tri-cities airport he noticed the fuel drain dripping, he engaged the fuel drain several times and the leak stopped. While departing the knoxville area the pilot noticed the instrument lights going dim and the transponder was breaking up. Knoxville tower directed him to change transponder frequencies but the transmission was too poor to pick up the ident. The pilot stated that he lost lights and instruments, which were operated by electric power. He then noticed that the rt. Fuel guage was reading e and he immediately switched to the left tank knowing that it was half full. (He had physically checked the tank). He was following the roads and started to look for the next interstate and got disoriented. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a road. He circled the road several times and noticed a traffic light and few cars were traveling the road. He landed behind the last vehicle 200 to 300 feet and coasted to a stop. The aircraft was towed to the elizabethon airport approximately 4 miles away and mechanic indicated a charging problem. The pilot stated that the engine ran normal for the duration of the flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE TRI-CITIES AIRPORT, JOHNSON CITY TENNESSEE. HE WAS TO FLY TO KNOXVILLE, TN, AND RETURN TO TRI-CITIES. HIS PASSENGER ON THE LEG TO KNOXVILLE WAS HIS WIFE. THE FLIGHT BACK TO TRI-CITIES WOULD INCLUDE HIS FATHER, WHICH WAS SCHEDULE FOR CANCER TREATMENT. HE LANDED IN KNOXVILLE, TN ROUTINELY. UPON PRE-FLIGHT FOR DEPARTURE BACK TO TRI-CITIES AIRPORT HE NOTICED THE FUEL DRAIN DRIPPING, HE ENGAGED THE FUEL DRAIN SEVERAL TIMES AND THE LEAK STOPPED. WHILE DEPARTING THE KNOXVILLE AREA THE PILOT NOTICED THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS GOING DIM AND THE TRANSPONDER WAS BREAKING UP. KNOXVILLE TOWER DIRECTED HIM TO CHANGE TRANSPONDER FREQUENCIES BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS TOO POOR TO PICK UP THE IDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTS, WHICH WERE OPERATED BY ELECTRIC POWER. HE THEN NOTICED THAT THE RT. FUEL GUAGE WAS READING E AND HE IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK KNOWING THAT IT WAS HALF FULL. (HE HAD PHYSICALLY CHECKED THE TANK). HE WAS FOLLOWING THE ROADS AND STARTED TO LOOK FOR THE NEXT INTERSTATE AND GOT DISORIENTED. HE DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A ROAD. HE CIRCLED THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES AND NOTICED A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND FEW CARS WERE TRAVELING THE ROAD. HE LANDED BEHIND THE LAST VEHICLE 200 TO 300 FEET AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE ELIZABETHON AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES AWAY AND MECHANIC INDICATED A CHARGING PROBLEM. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE RAN NORMAL FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT.
Other reports on N6977W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.