Fuel exhaustion. Off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	122047
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : y12 airport : fcm
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 6200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	122047
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on the last leg of a day-long trip which began at flying cloud field at xa. Same day our route of flight was fcm-mke-beh-mke-fcm. Approximately 20 mi and 5 min from fcm descending through 6200', the right engine failed and a fuel pressure loss was indicated. Within seconds the left engine also failed and was also secured and feathered. We were on an IFR flight plan and informed msp approach of our problem and were directed to air lake airport, 10 mi from our present position, where we would be unable to make 10 mi because of our low altitude and airspeed. We informed ATC of this and were directed to freeway 35 west which was bumper-to-bumper with car and truck traffic. We then decided to land directly under us which turned out to be xx ave. I was able to get the airplane down and landed on xx ave, and on rolling out we struck a street sign with the right wing doing minor damage to the leading edge. Cost to repair $600.00 approximately. We later drained all fuel tanks and recovered small amounts of fuel but both tanks were really empty. At the time of the engine failure both tanks indicated 100 pounds of fuel which is about how much fuel we should have had. Our flight planning indicated 1:30 enroute from mke to fcm and a fuel burn of 644 pounds. We left mke with 1000 pounds of fuel on a 260 mi flight. We calculated a ground speed of 188 KTS and achieved same for the entire trip at 14,000', outside temperature of 0 degree C. ATC slowed us down somewhat but no more than a few minutes overall. In the week since the incident, I think I have figured out the problem. We never had 1000 pounds of fuel in the morning even though our gauges indicated same. I have learned that these gauges can be calibrated to read accurately at the full or empty marks. Ours seems to read high. The next morning the left tank still indicated 100 pounds of fuel and putting a small amount of fuel in the right side got it to read 100 pounds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION. OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE LAST LEG OF A DAY-LONG TRIP WHICH BEGAN AT FLYING CLOUD FIELD AT XA. SAME DAY OUR ROUTE OF FLT WAS FCM-MKE-BEH-MKE-FCM. APPROX 20 MI AND 5 MIN FROM FCM DESCENDING THROUGH 6200', THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED AND A FUEL PRESSURE LOSS WAS INDICATED. WITHIN SECONDS THE LEFT ENGINE ALSO FAILED AND WAS ALSO SECURED AND FEATHERED. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND INFORMED MSP APCH OF OUR PROBLEM AND WERE DIRECTED TO AIR LAKE ARPT, 10 MI FROM OUR PRESENT POSITION, WHERE WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE 10 MI BECAUSE OF OUR LOW ALT AND AIRSPEED. WE INFORMED ATC OF THIS AND WERE DIRECTED TO FREEWAY 35 W WHICH WAS BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WITH CAR AND TRUCK TFC. WE THEN DECIDED TO LAND DIRECTLY UNDER US WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE XX AVE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND LANDED ON XX AVE, AND ON ROLLING OUT WE STRUCK A STREET SIGN WITH THE RIGHT WING DOING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE. COST TO REPAIR $600.00 APPROX. WE LATER DRAINED ALL FUEL TANKS AND RECOVERED SMALL AMOUNTS OF FUEL BUT BOTH TANKS WERE REALLY EMPTY. AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE BOTH TANKS INDICATED 100 LBS OF FUEL WHICH IS ABOUT HOW MUCH FUEL WE SHOULD HAVE HAD. OUR FLT PLANNING INDICATED 1:30 ENROUTE FROM MKE TO FCM AND A FUEL BURN OF 644 LBS. WE LEFT MKE WITH 1000 LBS OF FUEL ON A 260 MI FLT. WE CALCULATED A GND SPEED OF 188 KTS AND ACHIEVED SAME FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP AT 14,000', OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE OF 0 DEG C. ATC SLOWED US DOWN SOMEWHAT BUT NO MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES OVERALL. IN THE WEEK SINCE THE INCIDENT, I THINK I HAVE FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM. WE NEVER HAD 1000 LBS OF FUEL IN THE MORNING EVEN THOUGH OUR GAUGES INDICATED SAME. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THESE GAUGES CAN BE CALIBRATED TO READ ACCURATELY AT THE FULL OR EMPTY MARKS. OURS SEEMS TO READ HIGH. THE NEXT MORNING THE LEFT TANK STILL INDICATED 100 LBS OF FUEL AND PUTTING A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT SIDE GOT IT TO READ 100 LBS.

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.