Narrative:

I was returning from a cargo flight from bangor, me to waterville, me. The WX at bgr at the time was 20000' thin broken and 20 mi visibility. I departed from wvl under VMC. There was patchy ground fog in areas, but with excellent visibility aloft. The usual flight time from bgr to wul in an small transport is usually .3 or .4 hours, depending upon the wind. I departed bgr with 1.9 hours of flight time on the main (inboard) fuel supply. The main tanks usually have approximately 3 hours supply. This 1.1 hours fuel remaining exceeds the day VFR fuel requirements. After cancelling advisories with bgr departure, I noticed some ground fog in the wvl area. Upon approaching the airport I discovered the immediate airport area was covered with fog. I continued to check all quadrants of the airport looking for the runway environments, but I was unsuccessful. The sun was rising in the east, so I orbited the area for several mins hoping the fog would soon burn off. After approximately 10-15 mins I elected to go to 2b7 and wait for the fog to burn off. While en route to 2b7 I called unicom to check WX as there was ground fog in the area. 2b7 unicom answered and stated they had 1/2 mi in fog. This was unacceptable for an NDB approach or VFR. Before leaving wvl on the evening of 8/X/90, I instructed the line person to top the mains and put 15 gals in each auxiliary (outboard tank). The line person got busy and forgot to put any fuel in the auxs. This line person has been with the company over 1 yr and has always been responsible in carrying out any of his duties. I had phoned in this fuel request from my house as this was sort of a last minute trip, so to expedite the departure I ordered the fuel from home, a 10 min car ride. I departed with full mains, and I thought I had 15 gals in each auxiliary. After diverting to 2b7 en route, I switched from the main tanks to the auxs. This was the first time I had checked or elected to use the auxs. This is when I discovered the auxs were empty. I then switched back to the mains and after being advised of the 2b7 WX again diverted to owk, the next closest airport, as I now realized I would soon have a fuel problem due to not having my assumed auxiliary fuel. The WX was still cavu except for some patchy ground fog in select areas, en route to owk I called their unicom for a WX check and found they also have ground fog with poor visibility. I could see al the familiar landmarks--the city, the paper mill, a lake--but the immediate owk airport was covered with fog. I knew soon now I would be out fuel, so I headed for a grass strip airport not 5 mins behind me. In the turn to head for this airport the right engine quit. I secured this engine and feathered the propeller. Approximately 1-1 1/2 mins later the left engine failed and I had a forced landing in an open field. I realize the bottom line is my lack of a proper preflight to check my fuel supply. However, in this rush situation, I had full mains which was more than adequate for my destination and I never did check the auxiliary's until had needed them the next day in search of a place to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI RETURNING FROM CARGO FLT EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A CARGO FLT FROM BANGOR, ME TO WATERVILLE, ME. THE WX AT BGR AT THE TIME WAS 20000' THIN BROKEN AND 20 MI VISIBILITY. I DEPARTED FROM WVL UNDER VMC. THERE WAS PATCHY GND FOG IN AREAS, BUT WITH EXCELLENT VISIBILITY ALOFT. THE USUAL FLT TIME FROM BGR TO WUL IN AN SMT IS USUALLY .3 OR .4 HRS, DEPENDING UPON THE WIND. I DEPARTED BGR WITH 1.9 HRS OF FLT TIME ON THE MAIN (INBOARD) FUEL SUPPLY. THE MAIN TANKS USUALLY HAVE APPROX 3 HRS SUPPLY. THIS 1.1 HRS FUEL REMAINING EXCEEDS THE DAY VFR FUEL REQUIREMENTS. AFTER CANCELLING ADVISORIES WITH BGR DEP, I NOTICED SOME GND FOG IN THE WVL AREA. UPON APCHING THE ARPT I DISCOVERED THE IMMEDIATE ARPT AREA WAS COVERED WITH FOG. I CONTINUED TO CHK ALL QUADRANTS OF THE ARPT LOOKING FOR THE RWY ENVIRONMENTS, BUT I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE SUN WAS RISING IN THE E, SO I ORBITED THE AREA FOR SEVERAL MINS HOPING THE FOG WOULD SOON BURN OFF. AFTER APPROX 10-15 MINS I ELECTED TO GO TO 2B7 AND WAIT FOR THE FOG TO BURN OFF. WHILE ENRTE TO 2B7 I CALLED UNICOM TO CHK WX AS THERE WAS GND FOG IN THE AREA. 2B7 UNICOM ANSWERED AND STATED THEY HAD 1/2 MI IN FOG. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR AN NDB APCH OR VFR. BEFORE LEAVING WVL ON THE EVENING OF 8/X/90, I INSTRUCTED THE LINE PERSON TO TOP THE MAINS AND PUT 15 GALS IN EACH AUX (OUTBOARD TANK). THE LINE PERSON GOT BUSY AND FORGOT TO PUT ANY FUEL IN THE AUXS. THIS LINE PERSON HAS BEEN WITH THE COMPANY OVER 1 YR AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESPONSIBLE IN CARRYING OUT ANY OF HIS DUTIES. I HAD PHONED IN THIS FUEL REQUEST FROM MY HOUSE AS THIS WAS SORT OF A LAST MINUTE TRIP, SO TO EXPEDITE THE DEP I ORDERED THE FUEL FROM HOME, A 10 MIN CAR RIDE. I DEPARTED WITH FULL MAINS, AND I THOUGHT I HAD 15 GALS IN EACH AUX. AFTER DIVERTING TO 2B7 ENRTE, I SWITCHED FROM THE MAIN TANKS TO THE AUXS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD CHKED OR ELECTED TO USE THE AUXS. THIS IS WHEN I DISCOVERED THE AUXS WERE EMPTY. I THEN SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAINS AND AFTER BEING ADVISED OF THE 2B7 WX AGAIN DIVERTED TO OWK, THE NEXT CLOSEST ARPT, AS I NOW REALIZED I WOULD SOON HAVE A FUEL PROB DUE TO NOT HAVING MY ASSUMED AUX FUEL. THE WX WAS STILL CAVU EXCEPT FOR SOME PATCHY GND FOG IN SELECT AREAS, ENRTE TO OWK I CALLED THEIR UNICOM FOR A WX CHK AND FOUND THEY ALSO HAVE GND FOG WITH POOR VISIBILITY. I COULD SEE AL THE FAMILIAR LANDMARKS--THE CITY, THE PAPER MILL, A LAKE--BUT THE IMMEDIATE OWK ARPT WAS COVERED WITH FOG. I KNEW SOON NOW I WOULD BE OUT FUEL, SO I HEADED FOR A GRASS STRIP ARPT NOT 5 MINS BEHIND ME. IN THE TURN TO HEAD FOR THIS ARPT THE RIGHT ENG QUIT. I SECURED THIS ENG AND FEATHERED THE PROP. APPROX 1-1 1/2 MINS LATER THE LEFT ENG FAILED AND I HAD A FORCED LNDG IN AN OPEN FIELD. I REALIZE THE BOTTOM LINE IS MY LACK OF A PROPER PREFLT TO CHK MY FUEL SUPPLY. HOWEVER, IN THIS RUSH SITUATION, I HAD FULL MAINS WHICH WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR MY DEST AND I NEVER DID CHK THE AUX'S UNTIL HAD NEEDED THEM THE NEXT DAY IN SEARCH OF A PLACE TO LAND.

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.