What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/21/2021 student pilot training event fourth lesson. They had been operating the Piper PA-28-140 N6791 w, aircraft for approximately 45 minutes conducting airport pattern work
Upon lifting off for there seventh consecutive practice take off and landings (every other landing being a full stop taxi back). The plane engine sputtered (approx. 30 to 50 feet AGL)
PIC immediately called "my airplane" dropping the nose to establish a glide and determined the airport fence at the end of the runway was able to be cleared, allowing a landing in the grassy area just off the airport.
Then the engine suddenly surged to full power giving us a climb which they hoped for a potential 180 degree turn back to the airport. However, the burst of power was short lived and they were again left with few options, they aimed for the four-lane divided, highway 92 into the wind.
Aligning the glide path with the outside lane and touched down rolling to a stop.
They shut down, all switches off, fuel selector to off, vacated the aircraft.
They relocated the aircraft off the highway into a parking area and called the county sheriffs office to report. They were escorted back east on the highway to relocate the aircraft in tow behind the
Maintenance hangar rescue vehicle.
Spoke to mechanic and he stated prior to moving aircraft he checked fuel quantity found about 16 about gallons left fuel tank and about 17 gallons right fuel tank. As he stated in his return to service, the aircraft was flown at 5,000 feet for about 30 minutes with the same fuel that was in both tanks. The aircraft was flown doing steep bank turns while changing fuels tanks trying to duplicate weak fuel pump with low head pressure. No defects noted. Aircraft maintained normal fuel pressure in all flight configurations.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/21/2021 STUDENT PILOT TRAINING EVENT FOURTH LESSON. THEY HAD BEEN OPERATING THE PIPER PA-28-140 N6791 W, AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES CONDUCTING AIRPORT PATTERN WORK
UPON LIFTING OFF FOR THERE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE PRACTICE TAKE OFF AND LANDINGS (EVERY OTHER LANDING BEING A FULL STOP TAXI BACK). THE PLANE ENGINE SPUTTERED (APPROX. 30 TO 50 FEET AGL)
PIC IMMEDIATELY CALLED "MY AIRPLANE" DROPPING THE NOSE TO ESTABLISH A GLIDE AND DETERMINED THE AIRPORT FENCE AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY WAS ABLE TO BE CLEARED, ALLOWING A LANDING IN THE GRASSY AREA JUST OFF THE AIRPORT.
THEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SURGED TO FULL POWER GIVING US A CLIMB WHICH THEY HOPED FOR A POTENTIAL 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, THE BURST OF POWER WAS SHORT LIVED AND THEY WERE AGAIN LEFT WITH FEW OPTIONS, THEY AIMED FOR THE FOUR-LANE DIVIDED, HIGHWAY 92 INTO THE WIND.
ALIGNING THE GLIDE PATH WITH THE OUTSIDE LANE AND TOUCHED DOWN ROLLING TO A STOP.
THEY SHUT DOWN, ALL SWITCHES OFF, FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF, VACATED THE AIRCRAFT.
THEY RELOCATED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE HIGHWAY INTO A PARKING AREA AND CALLED THE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE TO REPORT. THEY WERE ESCORTED BACK EAST ON THE HIGHWAY TO RELOCATE THE AIRCRAFT IN TOW BEHIND THE
MAINTENANCE HANGAR RESCUE VEHICLE.
SPOKE TO MECHANIC AND HE STATED PRIOR TO MOVING AIRCRAFT HE CHECKED FUEL QUANTITY FOUND ABOUT 16 ABOUT GALLONS LEFT FUEL TANK AND ABOUT 17 GALLONS RIGHT FUEL TANK. AS HE STATED IN HIS RETURN TO SERVICE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN AT 5,000 FEET FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES WITH THE SAME FUEL THAT WAS IN BOTH TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN DOING STEEP BANK TURNS WHILE CHANGING FUELS TANKS TRYING TO DUPLICATE WEAK FUEL PUMP WITH LOW HEAD PRESSURE. NO DEFECTS NOTED. AIRCRAFT MAINTAINED NORMAL FUEL PRESSURE IN ALL FLIGHT CONFIGURATIONS.
Other reports on N6791W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.