Pilot of small aircraft tells of late realization that he could have rund a tank dry because he forg...

Attributes
ACN	145323
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3g8
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 913 msl bound upper : 3500
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 descent other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 85 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	145323
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft is normally flown with fuel selector on 'both'. However, having read fuel balancing procedure in poh, decided to practice it. On return leg of a flight of +/- 55 NM each way, noted left gauge reading slightly higher than right. Turned fuel selector to left. Accidentally turned past detent toward off, but got it back with no harm done. After swearing to be more careful, promptly forgot about selector! Flew remainder of flight on left including descent and landing although poh restricts one tank operation to straight and level cruise. Did not remember 'till in car on way home. Luckily due to short leg there was still 40 min +/- usable in left tanks but if leg was longer I would have flown until left tank was exhausted. I did not use landing checklist which calls for 'selector to both'. On this aircraft selector is 'always' on both so it's not normal to have to check it in flight. I should have used checklist and not artificially practiced a training procedure while on pleasure flight with passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA TELLS OF LATE REALIZATION THAT HE COULD HAVE RUND A TANK DRY BECAUSE HE FORGOT TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO BOTH PRIOR TO LNDG. HAD HIS LEG BEEN LONGER, HIS FORGETTING THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON ONE TANK COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ENGINE STOPPAGE.

Narrative: ACFT IS NORMALLY FLOWN WITH FUEL SELECTOR ON 'BOTH'. HOWEVER, HAVING READ FUEL BALANCING PROC IN POH, DECIDED TO PRACTICE IT. ON RETURN LEG OF A FLT OF +/- 55 NM EACH WAY, NOTED LEFT GAUGE READING SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN RIGHT. TURNED FUEL SELECTOR TO LEFT. ACCIDENTALLY TURNED PAST DETENT TOWARD OFF, BUT GOT IT BACK WITH NO HARM DONE. AFTER SWEARING TO BE MORE CAREFUL, PROMPTLY FORGOT ABOUT SELECTOR! FLEW REMAINDER OF FLT ON LEFT INCLUDING DSNT AND LNDG ALTHOUGH POH RESTRICTS ONE TANK OPERATION TO STRAIGHT AND LEVEL CRUISE. DID NOT REMEMBER 'TILL IN CAR ON WAY HOME. LUCKILY DUE TO SHORT LEG THERE WAS STILL 40 MIN +/- USABLE IN LEFT TANKS BUT IF LEG WAS LONGER I WOULD HAVE FLOWN UNTIL LEFT TANK WAS EXHAUSTED. I DID NOT USE LNDG CHKLIST WHICH CALLS FOR 'SELECTOR TO BOTH'. ON THIS ACFT SELECTOR IS 'ALWAYS' ON BOTH SO IT'S NOT NORMAL TO HAVE TO CHK IT IN FLT. I SHOULD HAVE USED CHKLIST AND NOT ARTIFICIALLY PRACTICED A TRNING PROC WHILE ON PLEASURE FLT WITH PAX.

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 tells of late realization that he could have rund a tank dry because he forgot to switch the fuel selector back to both prior to landing. Had his leg been longer, his forgetting that the fuel selector was on one tank could have resulted in an engine stoppage.