REFLECTOR: Good Friday Landing

[Dave Bertram]

I have delayed passing this information until I could give a reason for my
engine failure.
On Good Friday afternoon I took of from McKinney, Tx on a routine test
flight I thought.  On previous flights I had been having engine cooling
problems.  Through trial and error I have built a belly scoop which brings
air into a plenum just aft of the cowling cut line and up through the
radiator.  It seems to be the answer as my water temperature did not exceed
210 degrees during the flight.  After about 15 minutes of flight I began to
lose power.  I was about 8-9 miles east of the airport at 3200ft. I turned
toward the airport and told the tower of my problem and received clearance
direct to the airport.  The tower ask if I could make the airport and I told
I thought so and my engine quit shortly thereafter.  I kept the plane at
95kts and turned toward a plowed field located about a mile from TKI as this
was my only option.  I lowered the gear and made a successful landing.  My
roll-out was just under 900 ft.  The only damage to the airplane was to the
gear doors one of which departed and the other was knocked loose by the dirt
clods.  I was able to get a tow truck with a tilt bed and we pulled the Velo
up on it.  With the help of the airport manager we went through a back gate
to the airport so I did not have to remove the wings.  The airplane was back
in the hangar a little over two hours after I landed in the field.

Our conclusion is fuel starvation caused the failure.  All my EGT readings
were above 1500 degrees vs 1100-1200 normally.  I have talked to many
experts including our own Scot Baker and this is our finding.   My fuel
pumps were located above the sump tank requiring the pumps to suck uphill. 
My supply line to the pumps was 3/8 pipe and I am going to 1/2 inch.  I had
the old vent system with a 1/4 vent tube and no check valve.  Will
correcting these things prevent a future problem?  I will find out.  

This is the first time in 45 years of flying that I landed at other than the airport.  I plan to make it at least that long before the next time.  Dave Bertram    
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20050405/50c55b65/attachment.htm