Pilot of small aircraft departs on a planned flight of 0.2 hours with 0.9 hours of fuel theoreticall...

Attributes
ACN	142728
Time
Date	199004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ftg
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5485 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 132 flight time type : 129
ASRS Report	142728
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During preflight inspection, aircraft appeared to contain about 4.5 gallons of fuel. The fuel level was checked visually, and supported by fuel gauge indications. This quantity of fuel should have been adequate for 0.9 hours flight at 2500 RPM. After 0.15 hours of taxiing and run-up, and 0.15 hours takeoff, climb (of 1000') and cruise, engine sputtered and then stopped. The restart attempt was unproductive and necessitated an off airport emergency landing. After landing, inspection revealed that the right wing tank was empty and fuel gauge read empty. The left wing tank contained about 2.5 gallons of fuel and the fuel gauge read slightly above empty. There were no apparent fuel leaks, and fuel was discharged when the fuel separator was drained, but fuel supply was not sufficient for sustained engine operation upon successful restart. About 14 gallons of fuel was added to aircraft and aircraft was flown to intended destination west/O incident. Total engine operation time after fueling was 0.4 hours. The originally intended flight was to be from apa to ftg with a duration of about 0.2 hours. Including a VFR reserve of 0.5 hours, the apparent quantity of fuel in the aircraft should have been adequate. The incident resulted in no injuries, and no damage to the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DEPARTS ON A PLANNED FLT OF 0.2 HOURS WITH 0.9 HOURS OF FUEL THEORETICALLY. HE ONLY GOT 0.15 HOURS INTO HIS FLT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT, AND HE HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT INSPECTION, ACFT APPEARED TO CONTAIN ABOUT 4.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FUEL LEVEL WAS CHKED VISUALLY, AND SUPPORTED BY FUEL GAUGE INDICATIONS. THIS QUANTITY OF FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE FOR 0.9 HRS FLT AT 2500 RPM. AFTER 0.15 HRS OF TAXIING AND RUN-UP, AND 0.15 HRS TKOF, CLB (OF 1000') AND CRUISE, ENG SPUTTERED AND THEN STOPPED. THE RESTART ATTEMPT WAS UNPRODUCTIVE AND NECESSITATED AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG. AFTER LNDG, INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE R WING TANK WAS EMPTY AND FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY. THE L WING TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 2.5 GALLONS OF FUEL AND THE FUEL GAUGE READ SLIGHTLY ABOVE EMPTY. THERE WERE NO APPARENT FUEL LEAKS, AND FUEL WAS DISCHARGED WHEN THE FUEL SEPARATOR WAS DRAINED, BUT FUEL SUPPLY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR SUSTAINED ENG OPERATION UPON SUCCESSFUL RESTART. ABOUT 14 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO ACFT AND ACFT WAS FLOWN TO INTENDED DEST W/O INCIDENT. TOTAL ENG OPERATION TIME AFTER FUELING WAS 0.4 HRS. THE ORIGINALLY INTENDED FLT WAS TO BE FROM APA TO FTG WITH A DURATION OF ABOUT 0.2 HRS. INCLUDING A VFR RESERVE OF 0.5 HRS, THE APPARENT QUANTITY OF FUEL IN THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN NO INJURIES, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

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.

Pilot of small aircraft departs on a planned flight of 0.2 hours with 0.9 hours of fuel theoretically. He only got 0.15 hours into his flight when the engine quit, and he had to make an emergency landing.