What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 04, 2024, an instrument instruction flight took place from kege-sbs-cag-hdn-ege. The flight resulted in a forced landing approximately fifteen miles short of its destination of kege.
As the pilots were preparing for the training flight a fuel request was made to top off the fuel tanks for the flight. During the preflight the pilots checked the onboard fuel tanks and observed them to fluctuate between 1/2 to 3/4 of a tank. There was an assumption that the fuel gages were faulty from previous experience and assumed the tanks were full. The planned flight was for two and a half hours with a thirty minute reserve. Neither of the pilots visually confirmed the fuel quantity. During the aircraft run-up the pilots input full fuel into the electronic fuel gage.
The route of flight was followed as planned. On their way back to kege at approximately 11,000' and 15 miles north of their destination they experienced a significant drop in engine RPM and manifold pressure. The pilot's response was to turn on carb heat assuming carburetor icing. The engine RPM recovered briefly then continued to run rough. The pilots initiated the power loss in flight checklist and prepared for a forced landing. Once the aircraft was on the ground the pilots were able to egress the airplane without injury.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 04, 2024, AN INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTION FLIGHT TOOK PLACE FROM KEGE-SBS-CAG-HDN-EGE. THE FLIGHT RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN MILES SHORT OF ITS DESTINATION OF KEGE.
AS THE PILOTS WERE PREPARING FOR THE TRAINING FLIGHT A FUEL REQUEST WAS MADE TO TOP OFF THE FUEL TANKS FOR THE FLIGHT. DURING THE PREFLIGHT THE PILOTS CHECKED THE ONBOARD FUEL TANKS AND OBSERVED THEM TO FLUCTUATE BETWEEN 1/2 TO 3/4 OF A TANK. THERE WAS AN ASSUMPTION THAT THE FUEL GAGES WERE FAULTY FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND ASSUMED THE TANKS WERE FULL. THE PLANNED FLIGHT WAS FOR TWO AND A HALF HOURS WITH A THIRTY MINUTE RESERVE. NEITHER OF THE PILOTS VISUALLY CONFIRMED THE FUEL QUANTITY. DURING THE AIRCRAFT RUN-UP THE PILOTS INPUT FULL FUEL INTO THE ELECTRONIC FUEL GAGE.
THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS FOLLOWED AS PLANNED. ON THEIR WAY BACK TO KEGE AT APPROXIMATELY 11,000' AND 15 MILES NORTH OF THEIR DESTINATION THEY EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN ENGINE RPM AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE. THE PILOT'S RESPONSE WAS TO TURN ON CARB HEAT ASSUMING CARBURETOR ICING. THE ENGINE RPM RECOVERED BRIEFLY THEN CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOTS INITIATED THE POWER LOSS IN FLIGHT CHECKLIST AND PREPARED FOR A FORCED LANDING. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE GROUND THE PILOTS WERE ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT INJURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5755B · 1
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