Nighttime fuel burn

However, in 1986 I was divorced and planeless, and I decided to look for another airplane. I was thrilled to find a Grumman Lynx (AA-1C) for sale. I bought it and enjoyed flying it around the greater Columbus, Ohio, area. The big difference between the AA-1B and AA-1C was AA-1B had a cruise propeller and the AA-1C had a climb propeller. For some reason, I didn’t realize that would affect fuel burn. I had 420 hours under my belt—most in AA-1 and AA-5 aircraft, with 75 hours at night.

Late in the day on Thanksgiving 1986, a lady I had met at a singles club and I started off in the AA-1C from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) en route to Bader Field (AIY) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The weather forecast was for marginal VFR; I was not instrument rated yet, but the trip looked possible. The trip would mean a stop in West Virginia for fuel then on to Atlantic City. The first leg would take us directly across Zanesville Municipal Airport (ZZV).

Soon after takeoff the only VOR receiver I had died. In those days, GPS was relatively new. I didn’t have GPS yet. So, I planned our trip drawing lines on charts, measuring distances, and calculating wind correction angles. I decided I could continue without VOR if I crossed Zanesville on course and on time. Amazingly, I crossed right over the center of Zanesville at the second I had calculated.

Shortly after leaving Zanesville, all the lights in the cabin went out. I was prepared. I had three flashlights with me. Believe it or not, two of the flashlights later failed.

About 30 miles from the Ohio-West Virginia border, visibility seemed to be a little worse. I turned on the landing light and it came back glaring in my face. I could still see the ground, but I figured I was at the base of the clouds. I descended. Upon consulting the chart, I discovered I was flying lower than the highest obstacle in the next section of the chart. Time to turn around, I said to myself, trying to act calm so as to not alarm my passenger.

I tuned to a flight service frequency and said I needed assistance. After explaining my situation, I was asked to contact center. I reported my position, but they couldn’t receive my transponder. They had a commercial carrier looking down for me. They never saw me. I went to the Zanesville flight service station frequency. I asked for a direction finder steer back to Zanesville.

We went through the direction finder steer procedure and I headed back toward Zanesville. I knew Zanesville’s FBO would be closed and it would cost me an additional $25 to get someone to come out and fuel us. Familiar with the AA-1B I had owned, I figured a burn of 6 gph would leave me enough fuel to get back to Columbus with my 45-minute reserve. I had changed tanks departing from Zanesville, but during the excitement didn’t remember to do so on the way back.

The AA-1 family of airplanes had sight gauges for fuel, similar to the glass tube on the front of a restaurant coffee pot. About the time I got just north of Buckeye Lake, I said to my passenger, “Move your leg. It’s probably about time to check ta…” and the engine quit. I promptly changed tanks and reached for the boost pump and the engine started back up. During the few seconds it was stopped, I considered the ramifications of landing on Interstate 70 on Thanksgiving night. Fortunately, I didn’t have to.

Shortly after the engine-out, all the lights in the cabin came back on and the VOR started working. The landing at Columbus was uneventful. It was only after being safe on the ground that I fell apart emotionally. After landing, I learned why there is a reason for a 45-minute fuel reserve at night. There was about 15 minutes of fuel left in the left tank. If the requirement were only for a 15-minute reserve, and I had planned on that, I would have had to land on I-70.

It must have been the fates. The lady who was my passenger attended the singles club meeting the next evening, where she met the man who was to be her future husband. Weeks later I discovered the intermittent VOR failure was caused by a crack in the circuit board.

What are the lessons?

1. Study the aircraft manual for the specific model you will fly.
2. Pay close attention to weather forecasts.
3. Ask for help when you need it.
4. Don’t pass up a fuel stop when you have any doubt.
5. If you don’t have one, get an instrument rating.

Steve Samuelson has been flying for 40 years and logged more than 1,170 flight hours.