20070305003049I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Namer AT6D · Longmont, CO · March 5, 2007

Date: March 5, 2007 · 15:00 local
Place: Longmont, CO
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8541B
Reported as: Namer AT6D
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 24,000 total500 in this make and model175 in the last 90 days

N8541BRegistered now · North American T-6DS/N 41-34607-1 · Built 1943 Airframe modelNorth American T-6D Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Aircraft fuel to capacity (approx. 110 gallons) at Longmont (2V2) just prior to departure. Approximately 45 minutes after the initial takeoff the fuel low pressure light illuminated. Fuel pressure indicated zero. At this point left tank indicated full and right tank approx 30 gallons. After power loss the pilot privacy data omitted ^ tried to restore fuel pressure by operating the wobble pump, selecting the left tank and by changing throttle and mixture lever position. Fuel pressure remained at zero at all times. Due to mud, snow, ditches and power lines there were no suitable locations to attempt a gear down landing, the pilot privacy data omitted ^ elected to make a gear up landing in a snow covered wheat field to avoid flipping the aircraft on its back. (-23 amendment) 3/29/07: upon tear down of fuel pump p/n U-D-2175-A, found the fuel pressure regulator failed, being unable to regulate, by-passing fuel, not supplying fuel to engine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT FUEL TO CAPACITY (APPROX. 110 GALLONS) AT LONGMONT (2V2) JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL TAKEOFF THE FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. FUEL PRESSURE INDICATED ZERO. AT THIS POINT LEFT TANK INDICATED FULL AND RIGHT TANK APPROX 30 GALLONS. AFTER POWER LOSS THE PILOT ^PRIVACY ^ TRIED TO RESTORE FUEL PRESSURE BY OPERATING THE WOBBLE PUMP, SELECTING THE LEFT TANK AND BY CHANGING THROTTLE AND MIXTURE LEVER POSITION. FUEL PRESSURE REMAINED AT ZERO AT ALL TIMES. DUE TO MUD, SNOW, DITCHES AND POWER LINES THERE WERE NO SUITABLE LOCATIONS TO ATTEMPT A GEAR DOWN LANDING, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY ^ ELECTED TO MAKE A GEAR UP LANDING IN A SNOW COVERED WHEAT FIELD TO AVOID FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS BACK. (-23 AMENDMENT) 3/29/07: UPON TEAR DOWN OF FUEL PUMP P/N U-D-2175-A, FOUND THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR FAILED, BEING UNABLE TO REGULATE, BY-PASSING FUEL, NOT SUPPLYING FUEL TO ENGINE.