Ed_Wischmeyer
Well Known Member
To make a long story short, I had completed one pattern and was in the "impossible turn" zone after the touch and go when the G3X alert told me that the fuel pressure was 0.3 psi. Somehow I had forgotten to turn on the auxiliary fuel pump, and that fixed the problem.
I should have requested priority handling from the tower for an immediate landing but didn't (yes, I know better), and after some troubleshooting on the ground, the problem appears to be an intermittently weak mechanical fuel pump. A new pump should be here Friday.
Two more issues identified: I've not shifted from the high wing Cessna mindset; and my checklist did not have the fuel pump prominent at the end of the runup checklist. Also, I think that I'll have the engine page displayed on takeoff and will read the relevant gauges so that I can answer the question, "Is the engine going to continue to run immediately after liftoff?" The answer to that in my book is fuel pressure, oil pressure, manifold pressure, and tachometer. (If the engine is hot, there should be time to circle around, so temperatures aren't as critical).
I should have requested priority handling from the tower for an immediate landing but didn't (yes, I know better), and after some troubleshooting on the ground, the problem appears to be an intermittently weak mechanical fuel pump. A new pump should be here Friday.
Two more issues identified: I've not shifted from the high wing Cessna mindset; and my checklist did not have the fuel pump prominent at the end of the runup checklist. Also, I think that I'll have the engine page displayed on takeoff and will read the relevant gauges so that I can answer the question, "Is the engine going to continue to run immediately after liftoff?" The answer to that in my book is fuel pressure, oil pressure, manifold pressure, and tachometer. (If the engine is hot, there should be time to circle around, so temperatures aren't as critical).
