Government light transport off airport landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	179161
Time
Date	199105
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rdm
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 275 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	179161
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was sure I topped the aircraft after my last landing 2 days prior, like I normally do--but I didn't. On preparing for flight I set the fuel totalizer, but failed to check the gauges which are hidden behind the throttles and are hard to see. After about 1 hour of flight, the engines quit and I had to land in a soft field. Main cause is complacency when flying same aircraft all the time and only person to fly this aircraft. Also when using totalizer which have to be set but are extremely accurate, the quantity gauges become phased out of the scan. If the aircraft was equipped with a low fuel sensor light on the annunciator panel this accident would never have happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV LTT OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I WAS SURE I TOPPED THE ACFT AFTER MY LAST LNDG 2 DAYS PRIOR, LIKE I NORMALLY DO--BUT I DIDN'T. ON PREPARING FOR FLT I SET THE FUEL TOTALIZER, BUT FAILED TO CHK THE GAUGES WHICH ARE HIDDEN BEHIND THE THROTTLES AND ARE HARD TO SEE. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF FLT, THE ENGS QUIT AND I HAD TO LAND IN A SOFT FIELD. MAIN CAUSE IS COMPLACENCY WHEN FLYING SAME ACFT ALL THE TIME AND ONLY PERSON TO FLY THIS ACFT. ALSO WHEN USING TOTALIZER WHICH HAVE TO BE SET BUT ARE EXTREMELY ACCURATE, THE QUANTITY GAUGES BECOME PHASED OUT OF THE SCAN. IF THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A LOW FUEL SENSOR LIGHT ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL THIS ACCIDENT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.

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.