What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot statement and interview provided the following events:
Inbound flight to Tuluksak descending from 800 feet, turning left base for runway 33 at 500 to 600 feet altitude, 15 inches of manifold pressure at 90 KTS the engine began to mis-fire.
The pilot observed the fuel flow indicator needle jump. The pilot switched the fuel tank selector from right to left, as he completed the tank change the engine began to lose power.
The mixture control was positioned to full rich and the throttle was cycled as the fuel boost pump was applied with no change in engine performance. The engine was coughing and felt like it could regain power but would die.
Altitude was now 400 feet and the pilot knew he could not make the runway. The aircraft was configured for best glide at 80 KTS.
The pilot located a landing area. Passengers were briefed and prepared for emergency landing.
Touch down was normal for a soft field landing. On roll out the deep snow caused the nose fork to tear/break away from the strut lower attach point. No other damage except a dent in the lower cowling and all three propeller blades bent.
No injuries to the passengers. Pilot called dispatch in bethel by cell phone to notify no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATEMENT AND INTERVIEW PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:
INBOUND FLIGHT TO TULUKSAK DESCENDING FROM 800 FEET, TURNING LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 33 AT 500 TO 600 FEET ALTITUDE, 15 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AT 90 KTS THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MIS-FIRE.
THE PILOT OBSERVED THE FUEL FLOW INDICATOR NEEDLE JUMP. THE PILOT SWITCHED THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, AS HE COMPLETED THE TANK CHANGE THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER.
THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS POSITIONED TO FULL RICH AND THE THROTTLE WAS CYCLED AS THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS APPLIED WITH NO CHANGE IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THE ENGINE WAS COUGHING AND FELT LIKE IT COULD REGAIN POWER BUT WOULD DIE.
ALTITUDE WAS NOW 400 FEET AND THE PILOT KNEW HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR BEST GLIDE AT 80 KTS.
THE PILOT LOCATED A LANDING AREA. PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED AND PREPARED FOR EMERGENCY LANDING.
TOUCH DOWN WAS NORMAL FOR A SOFT FIELD LANDING. ON ROLL OUT THE DEEP SNOW CAUSED THE NOSE FORK TO TEAR/BREAK AWAY FROM THE STRUT LOWER ATTACH POINT. NO OTHER DAMAGE EXCEPT A DENT IN THE LOWER COWLING AND ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES BENT.
NO INJURIES TO THE PASSENGERS. PILOT CALLED DISPATCH IN BETHEL BY CELL PHONE TO NOTIFY NO INJURIES.
Other reports on N7318U · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.