GA helicopter fuel exhaustion on train flight. Off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	137583
Time
Date	199002
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rbd
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	137583
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After two hour cross country flight, landed for fuel. Instrument and student requested fuel. Truck drove up. After one hour in restaurant, left for additional training. I climbed upon x-tube to check fuel in tank. Shined a light in tank and saw a reflection. In cockpit gauge confirmed we had been refueled. After about 40 mins engine quit. Made a '0' ground speed autorotation and soft T/D. No damage to anybody or anything. Right fuel gauge still showed full. Instrument panel well lighted except fuel gauge. Reflection in tank was probably baffle in tank. Pilots expected tank to be full since truck drove up. We never trust gauges. We did not in this case. We just allowed our mind to tell our eyes what to see when we checked the tank. And 2 pilot witnesses watched us check the tank instrument pilot thought he had more than one hour fuel reserve.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA HELICOPTER FUEL EXHAUSTION ON TRAIN FLT. OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER TWO HR XCOUNTRY FLT, LANDED FOR FUEL. INSTR AND STUDENT REQUESTED FUEL. TRUCK DROVE UP. AFTER ONE HR IN RESTAURANT, LEFT FOR ADDITIONAL TRNING. I CLBED UPON X-TUBE TO CHK FUEL IN TANK. SHINED A LIGHT IN TANK AND SAW A REFLECTION. IN COCKPIT GAUGE CONFIRMED WE HAD BEEN REFUELED. AFTER ABOUT 40 MINS ENG QUIT. MADE A '0' GND SPD AUTOROTATION AND SOFT T/D. NO DAMAGE TO ANYBODY OR ANYTHING. R FUEL GAUGE STILL SHOWED FULL. INSTRUMENT PANEL WELL LIGHTED EXCEPT FUEL GAUGE. REFLECTION IN TANK WAS PROBABLY BAFFLE IN TANK. PLTS EXPECTED TANK TO BE FULL SINCE TRUCK DROVE UP. WE NEVER TRUST GAUGES. WE DID NOT IN THIS CASE. WE JUST ALLOWED OUR MIND TO TELL OUR EYES WHAT TO SEE WHEN WE CHKED THE TANK. AND 2 PLT WITNESSES WATCHED US CHK THE TANK INSTR PLT THOUGHT HE HAD MORE THAN ONE HR FUEL RESERVE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.