Narrative:

Just upon leveling off the engine sputtered and I noticed fuel flow decreasing. I immediately switched tanks, turned on electric fuel pump and richened mixture. Check of fuel gauges showed right tank empty and left tank below 15 gal. Notified center and landed at I69 west/O problems and had 7 (6 usable) upon landing. (Batavia, oh). I've been flying this plane for the 2 weeks before this occurrence and every day I gave a fuel order to the FBO. The day before this flight I had not given the FBO any fueling instructions because I thought I already had. I did not check the fuel level visly during the preflight because it requires a ladder and the gauges in this airplane are very accurate. During taxi I checked the fuel gauges to select the fullest tank. I could swear I saw full indications on both gauges but they must have been low (10-15 gal). I feel this is a case where my mind told my eyes what to see (eg, I thought the tanks were topped so when I looked at the gauges and saw both needles pointing the same way I saw them on full). Also the president of the company was my passenger on this flight and he likes to fly the plane. He has a private license but is not current. I was technically PIC but was sitting in the right seat. I think that viewing the gauges from the right instead of my normal left seat position also affected my perception of the quantity indicated. The fuel gauges are mounted near the floor at the base of the center pedestal on this model. They are not in normal view and require a conscious effort to lean forward and look. This could have been prevented by visly checking the fuel level instead of being lulled into complacency by a very conscientious FBO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMA DIVERTED DUE TO LOW FUEL QUANTITY.

Narrative: JUST UPON LEVELING OFF THE ENG SPUTTERED AND I NOTICED FUEL FLOW DECREASING. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TANKS, TURNED ON ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND RICHENED MIXTURE. CHK OF FUEL GAUGES SHOWED R TANK EMPTY AND L TANK BELOW 15 GAL. NOTIFIED CTR AND LANDED AT I69 W/O PROBS AND HAD 7 (6 USABLE) UPON LNDG. (BATAVIA, OH). I'VE BEEN FLYING THIS PLANE FOR THE 2 WKS BEFORE THIS OCCURRENCE AND EVERY DAY I GAVE A FUEL ORDER TO THE FBO. THE DAY BEFORE THIS FLT I HAD NOT GIVEN THE FBO ANY FUELING INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE I THOUGHT I ALREADY HAD. I DID NOT CHK THE FUEL LEVEL VISLY DURING THE PREFLT BECAUSE IT REQUIRES A LADDER AND THE GAUGES IN THIS AIRPLANE ARE VERY ACCURATE. DURING TAXI I CHKED THE FUEL GAUGES TO SELECT THE FULLEST TANK. I COULD SWEAR I SAW FULL INDICATIONS ON BOTH GAUGES BUT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN LOW (10-15 GAL). I FEEL THIS IS A CASE WHERE MY MIND TOLD MY EYES WHAT TO SEE (EG, I THOUGHT THE TANKS WERE TOPPED SO WHEN I LOOKED AT THE GAUGES AND SAW BOTH NEEDLES POINTING THE SAME WAY I SAW THEM ON FULL). ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY WAS MY PAX ON THIS FLT AND HE LIKES TO FLY THE PLANE. HE HAS A PVT LICENSE BUT IS NOT CURRENT. I WAS TECHNICALLY PIC BUT WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT. I THINK THAT VIEWING THE GAUGES FROM THE R INSTEAD OF MY NORMAL L SEAT POS ALSO AFFECTED MY PERCEPTION OF THE QUANTITY INDICATED. THE FUEL GAUGES ARE MOUNTED NEAR THE FLOOR AT THE BASE OF THE CTR PEDESTAL ON THIS MODEL. THEY ARE NOT IN NORMAL VIEW AND REQUIRE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO LEAN FORWARD AND LOOK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY VISLY CHKING THE FUEL LEVEL INSTEAD OF BEING LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY BY A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS FBO.

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.