Narrative:

Flight involved an far part 135 charter from acy to owd. Dead legs were from owd to miv (to drop off first officer) and miv to ilg (to return to base). Problem began to develop before departure from owd. FBO's were closed for fuel, and it seemed we would have sufficient fuel to reach miv and then proceed to ilg. While en route, fuel situation for last leg was becoming more doubtful, so we reduced power to conserve fuel. No FBO's were open for fuel upon reaching miv (where first officer got off). Departed from miv and immediately reduced power to maximum range setting and used xfeed to better distribute remaining fuel. Complications arose on final approach at ilg. Left main gear would not indicate down and locked. After cycling gear on final unsuccessfully, went around and tried again. This time gear extended properly, we came around, landed and taxied to our base uneventfully. After servicing aircraft next morning, I was grateful for every fuel conservation action I had taken (and even more disgusted with pushing it). Aircraft had absolutely no usable fuel remaining! The truly sobering facts are that if I had failed to make any one of the conservation measures that I had made, or if there had been any further delays of any length, I would have lost one or both engines at the worst possible time. This time luck held out when the smarts failed. I will not normally push myself close on fuel, and I swear this is the last time I pass up potential fuel stops en route. The most important things I have learned from this incident are: 1) on every flight where low fuel is even a remote consideration, I will designate a fuel alternate before the flight, making it easier to make the decision to divert, and, 2) when the tanks get to 1/4 remaining, I'm landing at the nearest airport for fuel, even if I have to backtrack.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE REFUELING ACFT AFTER MULTI-LEG FLT REPORTER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO REMAINING USABLE FUEL.

Narrative: FLT INVOLVED AN FAR PART 135 CHARTER FROM ACY TO OWD. DEAD LEGS WERE FROM OWD TO MIV (TO DROP OFF F/O) AND MIV TO ILG (TO RETURN TO BASE). PROB BEGAN TO DEVELOP BEFORE DEP FROM OWD. FBO'S WERE CLOSED FOR FUEL, AND IT SEEMED WE WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH MIV AND THEN PROCEED TO ILG. WHILE ENRTE, FUEL SITUATION FOR LAST LEG WAS BECOMING MORE DOUBTFUL, SO WE REDUCED PWR TO CONSERVE FUEL. NO FBO'S WERE OPEN FOR FUEL UPON REACHING MIV (WHERE F/O GOT OFF). DEPARTED FROM MIV AND IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR TO MAX RANGE SETTING AND USED XFEED TO BETTER DISTRIBUTE REMAINING FUEL. COMPLICATIONS AROSE ON FINAL APCH AT ILG. LEFT MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER CYCLING GEAR ON FINAL UNSUCCESSFULLY, WENT AROUND AND TRIED AGAIN. THIS TIME GEAR EXTENDED PROPERLY, WE CAME AROUND, LANDED AND TAXIED TO OUR BASE UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER SERVICING ACFT NEXT MORNING, I WAS GRATEFUL FOR EVERY FUEL CONSERVATION ACTION I HAD TAKEN (AND EVEN MORE DISGUSTED WITH PUSHING IT). ACFT HAD ABSOLUTELY NO USABLE FUEL REMAINING! THE TRULY SOBERING FACTS ARE THAT IF I HAD FAILED TO MAKE ANY ONE OF THE CONSERVATION MEASURES THAT I HAD MADE, OR IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY FURTHER DELAYS OF ANY LENGTH, I WOULD HAVE LOST ONE OR BOTH ENGS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME. THIS TIME LUCK HELD OUT WHEN THE SMARTS FAILED. I WILL NOT NORMALLY PUSH MYSELF CLOSE ON FUEL, AND I SWEAR THIS IS THE LAST TIME I PASS UP POTENTIAL FUEL STOPS ENRTE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS INCIDENT ARE: 1) ON EVERY FLT WHERE LOW FUEL IS EVEN A REMOTE CONSIDERATION, I WILL DESIGNATE A FUEL ALTERNATE BEFORE THE FLT, MAKING IT EASIER TO MAKE THE DECISION TO DIVERT, AND, 2) WHEN THE TANKS GET TO 1/4 REMAINING, I'M LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT FOR FUEL, EVEN IF I HAVE TO BACKTRACK.

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.