What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 6/18/22 the PIC of N996AK finished an instruction flight around 1345 and had a part 135 sightseeing flight scheduled for 1400 departing S27. He asked the ramp person if the plane was ready to go, to which the ramp person responded it was. Because the PIC felt pressured by the timeline he decided to trust the manifest and the ramp person in regards to fuel. As a result he did not dip the fuel tanks to ensure they had the right amount of fuel (40 gallons left, 15 gallons right). He did look at the gauges when he sat in the aircraft and thought they looked as they should.
On the return leg, he had started a very gradual decent when the aircraft engine sputtered and then stopped running (propeller was windmilling, but no engine power). In his words ?I immediately switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank and looked at the fuel quantity indicators. Both left and right showed 1/8 tank respectively. I checked the mixture was full rich, I put the prop to high RPM to facilitate a restart, I pushed the throttle to full, and I believe I turned on the fuel boost pump briefly. In addition, I was looking for and turning towards a suitable place to land, if necessary. I quickly flowed back through ensuring that the fuel selector was in the correct position on the right fuel tank, verifying all the engine controls were correct, but by then, I had to devote 100% of my attention to flying the airplane to the field for a safe landing. ? The aircraft landed safely in a field with no damage or injuries.
When the mechanic and company personnel arrived on site, they did and observed the following:
- Left fuel tank contained 1.5 gallons of unusable fuel (drained) and saved.
- Right fuel tank contained 15 gallons of fuel, drained and measured.
- All fuel replaced in right fuel tank, approximately 16 gallons.
- 10 Gallons of fuel added to left tank,
- Aircraft started on the left tank and operated normally.
- Aircraft was flown back to red eagle with no issues.
As the FAA filed it
ON 6/18/22 THE PIC OF N996AK FINISHED AN INSTRUCTION FLIGHT AROUND 1345 AND HAD A PART 135 SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT SCHEDULED FOR 1400 DEPARTING S27. HE ASKED THE RAMP PERSON IF THE PLANE WAS READY TO GO, TO WHICH THE RAMP PERSON RESPONDED IT WAS. BECAUSE THE PIC FELT PRESSURED BY THE TIMELINE HE DECIDED TO TRUST THE MANIFEST AND THE RAMP PERSON IN REGARDS TO FUEL. AS A RESULT HE DID NOT DIP THE FUEL TANKS TO ENSURE THEY HAD THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL (40 GALLONS LEFT, 15 GALLONS RIGHT). HE DID LOOK AT THE GAUGES WHEN HE SAT IN THE AIRCRAFT AND THOUGHT THEY LOOKED AS THEY SHOULD.
ON THE RETURN LEG, HE HAD STARTED A VERY GRADUAL DECENT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN STOPPED RUNNING (PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING, BUT NO ENGINE POWER). IN HIS WORDS ?I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND LOOKED AT THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SHOWED 1/8 TANK RESPECTIVELY. I CHECKED THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH, I PUT THE PROP TO HIGH RPM TO FACILITATE A RESTART, I PUSHED THE THROTTLE TO FULL, AND I BELIEVE I TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP BRIEFLY. IN ADDITION, I WAS LOOKING FOR AND TURNING TOWARDS A SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND, IF NECESSARY. I QUICKLY FLOWED BACK THROUGH ENSURING THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE CORRECT POSITION ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, VERIFYING ALL THE ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CORRECT, BUT BY THEN, I HAD TO DEVOTE 100% OF MY ATTENTION TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE TO THE FIELD FOR A SAFE LANDING. ? THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY IN A FIELD WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.
WHEN THE MECHANIC AND COMPANY PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE, THEY DID AND OBSERVED THE FOLLOWING:
- LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED 1.5 GALLONS OF UNUSABLE FUEL (DRAINED) AND SAVED.
- RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED 15 GALLONS OF FUEL, DRAINED AND MEASURED.
- ALL FUEL REPLACED IN RIGHT FUEL TANK, APPROXIMATELY 16 GALLONS.
- 10 GALLONS OF FUEL ADDED TO LEFT TANK,
- AIRCRAFT STARTED ON THE LEFT TANK AND OPERATED NORMALLY.
- AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO RED EAGLE WITH NO ISSUES.
Other reports on N996AK · 1
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