What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The plane started fine and the airplane was taxied to the run up for runway 12. The engine and mags were functioning properly so we continued onto the runway. We took off from kfch with 26 total gallons, 13 gallons
Per side at approximately 12:00PM and flew west to the biola practice area to practice ground reference maneuvers at 900’ AGL. We completed rectangular patterns and turns around a point and switched the tanks twice during the maneuvers. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight the engine
Started to run rough. I immediately took controls of the aircraft and went through the emergency checklist flow to troubleshoot the issue, but the problem continued to get worse quickly. I was on frequency 119.60 and let fresno approach know that we had a total engine failure and I was going to
Land the plane on a road. They asked if I needed to declare an emergency to which I responded, “we may have to”. Comms then went down due to the low altitude and I was determined to get the plane on the ground safely. As we landed on bishop just south of mckinley I noticed 3 cars crossing
The intersection at high speeds. The orchards obstructed my view of both sides of the intersecting roads, so to avoid any possible collisions I pulled back on the yoke and jumped the intersection. After landing again I applied brakes and came to a stop on the side of the road.
A visual inspection was made of the aircraft on scene by fresno FSDO personnel the following day, mar 1, 2024. Exterior damage was limited to a broken right nav light lens and paint transfer marks on the right wing tip assembly that appeared to have been made by a road sign. (Yellow and black paint) the left fuel tank was empty and right fuel tank level was approximately 1 1/2" below the tab. (Estimated 8-10 gallons remaining) observed an a and p mechanic start the airplane and noted that the engine started with difficulty and appeared to run very roughly. Aggressive leaning smoothed out the idling engine. The a and p mechanic subsequently reported having replaced the carburetor. A post maintenance start and runup was performed by the mechanic and found to be satisfactory. The mechanic returned the airplane to service.
As the FAA filed it
THE PLANE STARTED FINE AND THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RUN UP FOR RUNWAY 12. THE ENGINE AND MAGS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY SO WE CONTINUED ONTO THE RUNWAY. WE TOOK OFF FROM KFCH WITH 26 TOTAL GALLONS, 13 GALLONS
PER SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00PM AND FLEW WEST TO THE BIOLA PRACTICE AREA TO PRACTICE GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS AT 900’ AGL. WE COMPLETED RECTANGULAR PATTERNS AND TURNS AROUND A POINT AND SWITCHED THE TANKS TWICE DURING THE MANEUVERS. APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE
STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WENT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FLOW TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ISSUE, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO GET WORSE QUICKLY. I WAS ON FREQUENCY 119.60 AND LET FRESNO APPROACH KNOW THAT WE HAD A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE AND I WAS GOING TO
LAND THE PLANE ON A ROAD. THEY ASKED IF I NEEDED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY TO WHICH I RESPONDED, “WE MAY HAVE TO”. COMMS THEN WENT DOWN DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE AND I WAS DETERMINED TO GET THE PLANE ON THE GROUND SAFELY. AS WE LANDED ON BISHOP JUST SOUTH OF MCKINLEY I NOTICED 3 CARS CROSSING
THE INTERSECTION AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE ORCHARDS OBSTRUCTED MY VIEW OF BOTH SIDES OF THE INTERSECTING ROADS, SO TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE COLLISIONS I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND JUMPED THE INTERSECTION. AFTER LANDING AGAIN I APPLIED BRAKES AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
A VISUAL INSPECTION WAS MADE OF THE AIRCRAFT ON SCENE BY FRESNO FSDO PERSONNEL THE FOLLOWING DAY, MAR 1, 2024. EXTERIOR DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A BROKEN RIGHT NAV LIGHT LENS AND PAINT TRANSFER MARKS ON THE RIGHT WING TIP ASSEMBLY THAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY A ROAD SIGN. (YELLOW AND BLACK PAINT) THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND RIGHT FUEL TANK LEVEL WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2" BELOW THE TAB. (ESTIMATED 8-10 GALLONS REMAINING) OBSERVED AN A AND P MECHANIC START THE AIRPLANE AND NOTED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED WITH DIFFICULTY AND APPEARED TO RUN VERY ROUGHLY. AGGRESSIVE LEANING SMOOTHED OUT THE IDLING ENGINE. THE A AND P MECHANIC SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED HAVING REPLACED THE CARBURETOR. A POST MAINTENANCE START AND RUNUP WAS PERFORMED BY THE MECHANIC AND FOUND TO BE SATISFACTORY. THE MECHANIC RETURNED THE AIRPLANE TO SERVICE.
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