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Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 14:23:18 -0400
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From: Lorn H Olsen <lorn@dynacomm.us>
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Subject: Power Loss at Altitude with Mogas
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On Memorial Day, Monday, 05/25/09 I filled up in Suffolk, Va, KSFQ, =20
with Mogas. This gas is 87 octane. The header tank took 3.4 gallons of =20=

fuel. I took on a total of 35.4 gallons of fuel.

After the fill-up, I headed back home to Y47. Initially I climbed to =20
10,000 ft.

1 hour and 15 minutes into the flight over Clarksburg, WV, (KCKB) at =20
14,000 ft and after pumping 9 more gallons of Mogas into the header, =20
the engine stopped producing power. The density altitude was 16,000 =20
ft. I turned on the pitot heat, pulled the carb heat and slightly =20
enriched the mixture. The fuel pressure read zero. I thought that =20
something must have been frozen but the temperatures were too high. =20
The OAT was 5=B0C and the carb temp was 6=B0C.

I declared an emergency and headed to KCKB, about 20 miles away. By =20
12,000 ft the engine was started up again. ATC cleared me to 10,000 =20
and I headed back toward Detroit. The rest of the flight was just =20
peachy.

I have gassed up in Suffolk with Mogas twice prior to this flight but =20=

never gone above 8,500 ft.

Today I sumped the plane and found water in the gasalator sump. No =20
water in the wings. The header tank gas looked clean as did its finger =20=

strainer. There was no alcohol in the gas.

I think that the gas may have vaporized at the 16,000 density =20
altitude. Any other ideas?

--
Lorn H. 'Feathers' Olsen, MAA, ASMEL, ASES, Comm, Inst
DynaComm, Corp., 248-345-0500, mailto:lorn@dynacomm.us
LNC2, FB90/92, O-320-D1F, 1,570 hrs, N31161, Y47, SE Michigan