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Light twin on INS training flight declares low fuel state due to perceived low fuel quantity, makes emergency landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 154663 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199008 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hio |
| State Reference | OR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pdx tracon : nhz |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 154663 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Aircraft departed hillsboro with 3 hours fuel aboard for 2 hour IFR training flight in local area. INS rated commercial pilot student stated main tanks were visually checked full prior to flight and right fuel gauge registered full. Left gauges did not read above 1/2. This condition was well known to exist even though tank was full. Left gauge appeared to indicate accurately below 1/2 full. After 1 3/4 hours of flight aircraft was turned back to hillsboro after intentional missed ILS runway 22 approach at mcminnville. (I noticed lower than expected fuel readings of 3/8 while holding over newberg prior to ILS runway 22 approach at mcminniville and queried student again about visibility check of fuel prior to hillsboro departure. Student confirmed he visually checked fuel as full.) pdx approach provided radar vectors to localizer runway 12 at hillsboro and advised 15 min hold at the LOM. I advised approach we could not hold that long due to low fuel state and indicated I would declare an emergency if necessary. We were in and out of clouds at that point and right fuel tank indicated empty and left tank indicated less than 1/4 full. I requested clearance and vectors to descend to VFR conditions. I was given a heading and cleared to 2500'. We were still in IMC at 2500' and therefore I requested lower. We were given emergency clearance to 1200'. We were clear of clouds at 2000' and I cancelled IFR, contacted hillsboro tower and received landing clearance. After refueling we found there was in excess of 15 gals remaining--equivalent to 1 hour fuel at normal cruise in the small aircraft. Although the conclusion is that the visibility check of fuel was accurate and the fuel gauges were not I believe that it was appropriate for me to request the priority handling in light of my unfamiliarity with the aircraft's fuel gauge accuracy and their indication of a critically low fuel state in light of the pending 15 min hold.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LIGHT TWIN ON INS TRAINING FLT DECLARES LOW FUEL STATE DUE TO PERCEIVED LOW FUEL QUANTITY, MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG.
Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED HILLSBORO WITH 3 HRS FUEL ABOARD FOR 2 HR IFR TRNING FLT IN LCL AREA. INS RATED COMMERCIAL PLT STUDENT STATED MAIN TANKS WERE VISUALLY CHKED FULL PRIOR TO FLT AND RIGHT FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED FULL. LEFT GAUGES DID NOT READ ABOVE 1/2. THIS CONDITION WAS WELL KNOWN TO EXIST EVEN THOUGH TANK WAS FULL. LEFT GAUGE APPEARED TO INDICATE ACCURATELY BELOW 1/2 FULL. AFTER 1 3/4 HRS OF FLT ACFT WAS TURNED BACK TO HILLSBORO AFTER INTENTIONAL MISSED ILS RWY 22 APCH AT MCMINNVILLE. (I NOTICED LOWER THAN EXPECTED FUEL READINGS OF 3/8 WHILE HOLDING OVER NEWBERG PRIOR TO ILS RWY 22 APCH AT MCMINNIVILLE AND QUERIED STUDENT AGAIN ABOUT VIS CHK OF FUEL PRIOR TO HILLSBORO DEP. STUDENT CONFIRMED HE VISUALLY CHKED FUEL AS FULL.) PDX APCH PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS TO LOC RWY 12 AT HILLSBORO AND ADVISED 15 MIN HOLD AT THE LOM. I ADVISED APCH WE COULD NOT HOLD THAT LONG DUE TO LOW FUEL STATE AND INDICATED I WOULD DECLARE AN EMER IF NECESSARY. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS AT THAT POINT AND RIGHT FUEL TANK INDICATED EMPTY AND LEFT TANK INDICATED LESS THAN 1/4 FULL. I REQUESTED CLRNC AND VECTORS TO DSND TO VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS GIVEN A HDG AND CLRED TO 2500'. WE WERE STILL IN IMC AT 2500' AND THEREFORE I REQUESTED LOWER. WE WERE GIVEN EMER CLRNC TO 1200'. WE WERE CLR OF CLOUDS AT 2000' AND I CANCELLED IFR, CONTACTED HILLSBORO TWR AND RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. AFTER REFUELING WE FOUND THERE WAS IN EXCESS OF 15 GALS REMAINING--EQUIVALENT TO 1 HR FUEL AT NORMAL CRUISE IN THE SMA. ALTHOUGH THE CONCLUSION IS THAT THE VIS CHK OF FUEL WAS ACCURATE AND THE FUEL GAUGES WERE NOT I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO REQUEST THE PRIORITY HANDLING IN LIGHT OF MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ACFT'S FUEL GAUGE ACCURACY AND THEIR INDICATION OF A CRITICALLY LOW FUEL STATE IN LIGHT OF THE PENDING 15 MIN HOLD.
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.