Narrative:

En route from spi to mml. Landed on spi with 500 pounds fuel showing on each tank. Trip time from spi to mml was planned for 1:45. I ordered 75 gals of fuel for each side to bring fuel to 2000 pounds total or approximately 3 hours fuel. Aircraft flew for 1.5 hours en route at altitudes from 16000' to FL180 when right fuel flow started fluctuating and N1 started decreasing. We showed about 70 NM from mml (RNAV figure) and 10 mins. Fuel showing on gauges was 450 pounds left side and 300-350 pounds right side. Xfeed was switched left to right and engine return to normal operation. Copilot told center we had a fuel starvation and wanted lower and clearance to tracy, mn. We asked for vectors to tracy but controller didn't have tracy on his map, but gave us approximately clock location. We broke out of the haze or overcast at approximately 13000-14000' MSL and had a visibility of tracy. Once we determined the airport was made we cancelled IFR and controller requested on the ground confirmation which we relayed through another aircraft. Cancelled approximately 5000-6000' MSL. I did not keep a running total of fuel burn and did not catch the discrepancy of actual fuel vs amount shown on gauges. Therefore, I did not have the 2000 pounds of fuel on board that I believed when I departed spi for mml. Rain the day before flight and the morning of departure at clt might have been a factor, because fuel gauges after departing clt in the rain were seemingly shorted on full clockwise position. After about an hour of flight and leaving the rain area, the gauges seemed to return to normal operation. Gauges in this aircraft have done this before when the aircraft has sat outside in the rain, but after drying out the gauges have returned to normal. The apparent closest straight ahead airport was chosen for landing. Because of unknown or uncertain problem, aircraft was flown with the assumption of total fuel starvation anytime. Best glide was set up and excessive altitude was maintained till landing was assured west/O power. Propellers were feathered but engines left running. Supplemental information from acn 103692: on taxi I asked the PF how much fuel we had on board. He said 2700 pounds of fuel. Verifying it he showed me the auxiliary, each had 100 pounds and main tanks, 1250. We proceeded for a 3.2 hour trip burning 1900 pounds. We landed at destination with 450 pounds each main tanks. We overnighted 2 nights. We put on fuel of 200 gals or 1340 pounds for a total of 2400 pounds. Gauges showed 500 pounds per side. After fueling main tanks fuel gauges were not reading properly and auxiliary tanks were off scale high. We cruised 2.2. Hours burning 1640 pounds. Gauges read 500 pounds each main tank for 1000 pounds total. Should have been 380 pounds each main. Putting on 1000 pounds we departed for 1:30 trip with what I thought was 2000 pounds. We burned 1150 pounds of fuel. Gauges showed 400 pounds each main tank. #2 engine fuel fluctuated, then died. On questioning the other pilot, he stated that he left his home base with full mains and 30 pounds each auxiliary tank or 2900 pounds, minus 400 pounds en route to mml. We left mml with actually 2500 pounds, not 2700. I made several mistakes to say the least: I did not ask what the fuel load that the other pilot put on his airplane was, I was told there was 2700 pounds on the airplane and verified it by the gauges, and was too complacent with flight planning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT FUEL EXHAUSTION AT CRUISE ALT. DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM SPI TO MML. LANDED ON SPI WITH 500 LBS FUEL SHOWING ON EACH TANK. TRIP TIME FROM SPI TO MML WAS PLANNED FOR 1:45. I ORDERED 75 GALS OF FUEL FOR EACH SIDE TO BRING FUEL TO 2000 LBS TOTAL OR APPROX 3 HRS FUEL. ACFT FLEW FOR 1.5 HRS ENRTE AT ALTS FROM 16000' TO FL180 WHEN RIGHT FUEL FLOW STARTED FLUCTUATING AND N1 STARTED DECREASING. WE SHOWED ABOUT 70 NM FROM MML (RNAV FIGURE) AND 10 MINS. FUEL SHOWING ON GAUGES WAS 450 LBS LEFT SIDE AND 300-350 LBS RIGHT SIDE. XFEED WAS SWITCHED LEFT TO RIGHT AND ENG RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION. COPLT TOLD CENTER WE HAD A FUEL STARVATION AND WANTED LOWER AND CLRNC TO TRACY, MN. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO TRACY BUT CTLR DIDN'T HAVE TRACY ON HIS MAP, BUT GAVE US APPROX CLOCK LOCATION. WE BROKE OUT OF THE HAZE OR OVCST AT APPROX 13000-14000' MSL AND HAD A VIS OF TRACY. ONCE WE DETERMINED THE ARPT WAS MADE WE CANCELLED IFR AND CTLR REQUESTED ON THE GND CONFIRMATION WHICH WE RELAYED THROUGH ANOTHER ACFT. CANCELLED APPROX 5000-6000' MSL. I DID NOT KEEP A RUNNING TOTAL OF FUEL BURN AND DID NOT CATCH THE DISCREPANCY OF ACTUAL FUEL VS AMOUNT SHOWN ON GAUGES. THEREFORE, I DID NOT HAVE THE 2000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD THAT I BELIEVED WHEN I DEPARTED SPI FOR MML. RAIN THE DAY BEFORE FLT AND THE MORNING OF DEP AT CLT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR, BECAUSE FUEL GAUGES AFTER DEPARTING CLT IN THE RAIN WERE SEEMINGLY SHORTED ON FULL CLOCKWISE POS. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF FLT AND LEAVING THE RAIN AREA, THE GAUGES SEEMED TO RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION. GAUGES IN THIS ACFT HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE WHEN THE ACFT HAS SAT OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN, BUT AFTER DRYING OUT THE GAUGES HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE APPARENT CLOSEST STRAIGHT AHEAD ARPT WAS CHOSEN FOR LNDG. BECAUSE OF UNKNOWN OR UNCERTAIN PROB, ACFT WAS FLOWN WITH THE ASSUMPTION OF TOTAL FUEL STARVATION ANYTIME. BEST GLIDE WAS SET UP AND EXCESSIVE ALT WAS MAINTAINED TILL LNDG WAS ASSURED W/O PWR. PROPS WERE FEATHERED BUT ENGS LEFT RUNNING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 103692: ON TAXI I ASKED THE PF HOW MUCH FUEL WE HAD ON BOARD. HE SAID 2700 LBS OF FUEL. VERIFYING IT HE SHOWED ME THE AUX, EACH HAD 100 LBS AND MAIN TANKS, 1250. WE PROCEEDED FOR A 3.2 HR TRIP BURNING 1900 LBS. WE LANDED AT DEST WITH 450 LBS EACH MAIN TANKS. WE OVERNIGHTED 2 NIGHTS. WE PUT ON FUEL OF 200 GALS OR 1340 LBS FOR A TOTAL OF 2400 LBS. GAUGES SHOWED 500 LBS PER SIDE. AFTER FUELING MAIN TANKS FUEL GAUGES WERE NOT READING PROPERLY AND AUX TANKS WERE OFF SCALE HIGH. WE CRUISED 2.2. HRS BURNING 1640 LBS. GAUGES READ 500 LBS EACH MAIN TANK FOR 1000 LBS TOTAL. SHOULD HAVE BEEN 380 LBS EACH MAIN. PUTTING ON 1000 LBS WE DEPARTED FOR 1:30 TRIP WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 2000 LBS. WE BURNED 1150 LBS OF FUEL. GAUGES SHOWED 400 LBS EACH MAIN TANK. #2 ENG FUEL FLUCTUATED, THEN DIED. ON QUESTIONING THE OTHER PLT, HE STATED THAT HE LEFT HIS HOME BASE WITH FULL MAINS AND 30 LBS EACH AUX TANK OR 2900 LBS, MINUS 400 LBS ENRTE TO MML. WE LEFT MML WITH ACTUALLY 2500 LBS, NOT 2700. I MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES TO SAY THE LEAST: I DID NOT ASK WHAT THE FUEL LOAD THAT THE OTHER PLT PUT ON HIS AIRPLANE WAS, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS 2700 LBS ON THE AIRPLANE AND VERIFIED IT BY THE GAUGES, AND WAS TOO COMPLACENT WITH FLT PLANNING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.