Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from kissimmee, fl, to rogers, ar. 25 mi from rogers, I ran out of fuel, both engines failed. At this time I broke into the clear, recognized an airport and landed. It sounded like ATC was handling another emergency at this same time, my workload was high, so I did not advise ATC of my emergency and altitude deviation. My flight plan was closed on the ground. At takeoff, my fuel gauges showed 2350 pounds of fuel. I figured a maximum burn of 2000 pounds. According to the fuel totalizer (shows fuel burn), I had burned 1965 pounds of fuel when I landed. The fuel gauges still showed 200 pounds of fuel when they were empty. I believe the fuel gauges became more inaccurate as fuel was added to the plane. I had 350-400 pounds less fuel than indicated at takeoff. In addition, the left fuel gauge always read higher at high fuel levels. Because the low fuel warning light would come on with 1 1/4 hours of fuel left, I got to not paying much attention to it, when in reality it was telling me the truth (ie, I only had 40 mins of fuel left). My mistakes: 1) should have better understood the significance of the low fuel warning light which is separate from the fuel gauges. Perhaps a placard in the cockpit would help fools like me. If I would have looked at the pilots operating handbook and seen that this light comes on when only 150-160 pounds (300-320 pounds total) are left in either tank, the error in the fuel gauges would have been discovered. The light would come on at 300 pounds of fuel/tank. 2) the red fuel warning light is an emergency procedure which says land as soon as possible. I passed over several airports. 3) I should have had a greater safety margin than 45 mins of fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT OF AN SMT ACFT DEVIATED FROM AN ASSIGNED IFR CLRNC TO MAKE AN EMER FORCED LNDG WHEN BOTH ENGS FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM KISSIMMEE, FL, TO ROGERS, AR. 25 MI FROM ROGERS, I RAN OUT OF FUEL, BOTH ENGS FAILED. AT THIS TIME I BROKE INTO THE CLR, RECOGNIZED AN ARPT AND LANDED. IT SOUNDED LIKE ATC WAS HANDLING ANOTHER EMER AT THIS SAME TIME, MY WORKLOAD WAS HIGH, SO I DID NOT ADVISE ATC OF MY EMER AND ALTDEV. MY FLT PLAN WAS CLOSED ON THE GND. AT TKOF, MY FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 2350 POUNDS OF FUEL. I FIGURED A MAX BURN OF 2000 POUNDS. ACCORDING TO THE FUEL TOTALIZER (SHOWS FUEL BURN), I HAD BURNED 1965 POUNDS OF FUEL WHEN I LANDED. THE FUEL GAUGES STILL SHOWED 200 POUNDS OF FUEL WHEN THEY WERE EMPTY. I BELIEVE THE FUEL GAUGES BECAME MORE INACCURATE AS FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE PLANE. I HAD 350-400 POUNDS LESS FUEL THAN INDICATED AT TKOF. IN ADDITION, THE L FUEL GAUGE ALWAYS READ HIGHER AT HIGH FUEL LEVELS. BECAUSE THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON WITH 1 1/4 HRS OF FUEL LEFT, I GOT TO NOT PAYING MUCH ATTN TO IT, WHEN IN REALITY IT WAS TELLING ME THE TRUTH (IE, I ONLY HAD 40 MINS OF FUEL LEFT). MY MISTAKES: 1) SHOULD HAVE BETTER UNDERSTOOD THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE FUEL GAUGES. PERHAPS A PLACARD IN THE COCKPIT WOULD HELP FOOLS LIKE ME. IF I WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE PLTS OPERATING HANDBOOK AND SEEN THAT THIS LIGHT COMES ON WHEN ONLY 150-160 POUNDS (300-320 POUNDS TOTAL) ARE LEFT IN EITHER TANK, THE ERROR IN THE FUEL GAUGES WOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED. THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AT 300 POUNDS OF FUEL/TANK. 2) THE RED FUEL WARNING LIGHT IS AN EMER PROC WHICH SAYS LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I PASSED OVER SEVERAL ARPTS. 3) I SHOULD HAVE HAD A GREATER SAFETY MARGIN THAN 45 MINS OF FUEL.

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.