Fuel exhaustion in the traffic pattern on small aircraft training flight.

Attributes
ACN	183955
Time
Date	199107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sat tracon : buf
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 122 flight time total : 1277 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	183955
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I began a flight lesson with a student. During the preflight, I checked the fuel on board. First I checked the fuel gauges by turning on the airplane's master switch. The left showed half of a tank and the right showed a little over a quarter. I then checked each tank visually and was able to see fuel in each tank. Because it is normal for each airplane's tanks to be filled up by the line service at the beginning of each day, I checked the airplane's activity log for that day to see how much time had been burned from the airplane's fuel tanks. It had been flown twice that day for a total of 1.9 hours. Since this airplane normally holds 4/5 hours of fuel total, I decided to proceed with the lesson. I expected there to be approximately 2.6 hours of fuel on board for the lesson which was planned to take a little over an hour. This should have allowed plenty of fuel for the normal delays due to approach control's vectoring procedures that can take up to 15 mins of extra flight time. The flight was directed in this manner as I expected; however, as we began our turn from base leg to final, the airplane's engine began to fluctuate from idle to normal indications. Not knowing exactly what was wrong, I contacted the tower controller and advised him that I had an engine failure. He asked if I could make it to the runway and I advised him that I would try. I was able to land without any further incident and was able to taxi to parking without any engine trouble at all. Once parked, I had the line service personnel fill up the airplane with fuel. The line service put in 25 gallons of fuel. This airlane holds a total of 26 (24.5 usable). Although I checked the fuel by 3 different methods, my assumption was very wrong in assuming that line service does indeed fill each airplane's tank at the beginning of each day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION IN THE TFC PATTERN ON SMA TRNING FLT.

Narrative: I BEGAN A FLT LESSON WITH A STUDENT. DURING THE PREFLT, I CHKED THE FUEL ON BOARD. FIRST I CHKED THE FUEL GAUGES BY TURNING ON THE AIRPLANE'S MASTER SWITCH. THE L SHOWED HALF OF A TANK AND THE R SHOWED A LITTLE OVER A QUARTER. I THEN CHKED EACH TANK VISUALLY AND WAS ABLE TO SEE FUEL IN EACH TANK. BECAUSE IT IS NORMAL FOR EACH AIRPLANE'S TANKS TO BE FILLED UP BY THE LINE SVC AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH DAY, I CHKED THE AIRPLANE'S ACTIVITY LOG FOR THAT DAY TO SEE HOW MUCH TIME HAD BEEN BURNED FROM THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS. IT HAD BEEN FLOWN TWICE THAT DAY FOR A TOTAL OF 1.9 HRS. SINCE THIS AIRPLANE NORMALLY HOLDS 4/5 HRS OF FUEL TOTAL, I DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE LESSON. I EXPECTED THERE TO BE APPROX 2.6 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE LESSON WHICH WAS PLANNED TO TAKE A LITTLE OVER AN HR. THIS SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED PLENTY OF FUEL FOR THE NORMAL DELAYS DUE TO APCH CTL'S VECTORING PROCS THAT CAN TAKE UP TO 15 MINS OF EXTRA FLT TIME. THE FLT WAS DIRECTED IN THIS MANNER AS I EXPECTED; HOWEVER, AS WE BEGAN OUR TURN FROM BASE LEG TO FINAL, THE AIRPLANE'S ENG BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE FROM IDLE TO NORMAL INDICATIONS. NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG, I CONTACTED THE TWR CTLR AND ADVISED HIM THAT I HAD AN ENG FAILURE. HE ASKED IF I COULD MAKE IT TO THE RWY AND I ADVISED HIM THAT I WOULD TRY. I WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT AND WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO PARKING WITHOUT ANY ENG TROUBLE AT ALL. ONCE PARKED, I HAD THE LINE SVC PERSONNEL FILL UP THE AIRPLANE WITH FUEL. THE LINE SVC PUT IN 25 GALLONS OF FUEL. THIS AIRLANE HOLDS A TOTAL OF 26 (24.5 USABLE). ALTHOUGH I CHKED THE FUEL BY 3 DIFFERENT METHODS, MY ASSUMPTION WAS VERY WRONG IN ASSUMING THAT LINE SVC DOES INDEED FILL EACH AIRPLANE'S TANK AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH DAY.

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.