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20121010022399I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Aero Commander 500-B · Porterville, CA · October 10, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 10, 2012 · 14:30 local
Place
Porterville, CA
Airport
Porterville Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N1165Z
Reported as
Aero Commander 500-B
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
8,500 total350 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N1165ZRegistered now · Aero Commander 500-BS/N 1555-198 · Built 1965Airframe modelAero Commander 500-BEngine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

Aircraft departed bfl to ptv on 10/10/2012 with 55 gallons of fuel. The aircraft was on final to ptv around 2:30PM when the aircraft experienced a total power loss in both left and right engines. The aircraft was on a 45 entry app. 3NM to the downwind at 1500MSL. Both engines shut down and the pilot noticed a fluctuation in the fuel flow indicators. He quickly landed the aircraft on a dirt road app. 3/4 of a mile from the airport. The aircraft did not get damaged, nor were there any injuries or fatalities. The aircraft fuel gage displayed 60 gallons of fuel at the time of the incident. The mechanic drained only three gallons of fuel from the tanks until it was empty. When power was applied, the gauge still read 60 gallons. The mechanic put 45 gallons of fuel back into the aircraft, then drained 10 gallons at a time. Every increment read the same, 60 gallons. Mechanic suspects faulty wiring or bad transmitter / fuel sender. The mechanic found a broken wire at the transmitter. He replaced the broken wire and a mdr was generated for the transmitter. The pilot received couseling by ops inspector because he attempted a round trip from Porterville to bakersfield on 55 gallons of fuel. The pilot stated that the indicator still displayed 55 gallons of fuel in bakersfield before returning back to Porterville.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BFL TO PTV ON 10/10/2012 WITH 55 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL TO PTV AROUND 2:30PM WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL POWER LOSS IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A 45 ENTRY APP. 3NM TO THE DOWNWIND AT 1500MSL. BOTH ENGINES SHUT DOWN AND THE PILOT NOTICED A FLUCTUATION IN THE FUEL FLOW INDICATORS. HE QUICKLY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON A DIRT ROAD APP. 3/4 OF A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT GET DAMAGED, NOR WERE THERE ANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL GAGE DISPLAYED 60 GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE MECHANIC DRAINED ONLY THREE GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE TANKS UNTIL IT WAS EMPTY. WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED, THE GAUGE STILL READ 60 GALLONS. THE MECHANIC PUT 45 GALLONS OF FUEL BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT, THEN DRAINED 10 GALLONS AT A TIME. EVERY INCREMENT READ THE SAME, 60 GALLONS. MECHANIC SUSPECTS FAULTY WIRING OR BAD TRANSMITTER / FUEL SENDER. THE MECHANIC FOUND A BROKEN WIRE AT THE TRANSMITTER. HE REPLACED THE BROKEN WIRE AND A MDR WAS GENERATED FOR THE TRANSMITTER. THE PILOT RECEIVED COUSELING BY OPS INSPECTOR BECAUSE HE ATTEMPTED A ROUND TRIP FROM PORTERVILLE TO BAKERSFIELD ON 55 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE INDICATOR STILL DISPLAYED 55 GALLONS OF FUEL IN BAKERSFIELD BEFORE RETURNING BACK TO PORTERVILLE.