A flight instructor reports that a private pilot under his instruction nearly ran out of gas on a ni...

Attributes
ACN	221867
Time
Date	199209
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oma
State Reference	NE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oma
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1300
ASRS Report	221867
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My student, who holds a private pilot certificate, was doing a cross country flight to fulfill the requirements of the cross country time for his commercial certificate. He left from the minneapolis area to return to oma. He stopped for fuel in storm lake, ia, but found the FBO closed. He decided to press on to oma. He failed to calculate how long the flight would be and that he would be in a low fuel situation by the time he returned to oma. His intention was to land in denison, ia, for fuel, but when he got to denison, (or what he thought was denison)he saw the lights of oma and decided to try for the oma airport. He called oma approach and stated his intentions. Oma approach assigned a squawk code to him, but was unable to pick him up on radar. Oma approach then asked ZMP for a fix and found he was 60 NM north of oma. This was 30 NM from where the pilot thought he was. He still decided to press on since he saw the lights of omaha. ATC reported his ground speed as 70 KTS. The student did make it to oma without incident, but he needed 23.5 gallons of fuel. Useful fuel on the aircraft is 24.5 gallons. Although I was not in the aircraft with the pilot, I feel somewhat involved since I am his instructor. Remedial action here will consist of no further flts until I give him 5 hours of ground instruction and 2-3 hours additional cross country dual, with an emphasis on fuel management.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT INSTRUCTOR RPTS THAT A PRIVATE PLT UNDER HIS INSTRUCTION NEARLY RAN OUT OF GAS ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY. THERE WILL BE EXTENSIVE GND AND FLT INSTRUCTION TO FOLLOW. ZMP AND OMA TRACON COLLABORATED IN A FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: MY STUDENT, WHO HOLDS A PRIVATE PLT CERTIFICATE, WAS DOING A XCOUNTRY FLT TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE XCOUNTRY TIME FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE. HE LEFT FROM THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA TO RETURN TO OMA. HE STOPPED FOR FUEL IN STORM LAKE, IA, BUT FOUND THE FBO CLOSED. HE DECIDED TO PRESS ON TO OMA. HE FAILED TO CALCULATE HOW LONG THE FLT WOULD BE AND THAT HE WOULD BE IN A LOW FUEL SITUATION BY THE TIME HE RETURNED TO OMA. HIS INTENTION WAS TO LAND IN DENISON, IA, FOR FUEL, BUT WHEN HE GOT TO DENISON, (OR WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS DENISON)HE SAW THE LIGHTS OF OMA AND DECIDED TO TRY FOR THE OMA ARPT. HE CALLED OMA APCH AND STATED HIS INTENTIONS. OMA APCH ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE TO HIM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PICK HIM UP ON RADAR. OMA APCH THEN ASKED ZMP FOR A FIX AND FOUND HE WAS 60 NM N OF OMA. THIS WAS 30 NM FROM WHERE THE PLT THOUGHT HE WAS. HE STILL DECIDED TO PRESS ON SINCE HE SAW THE LIGHTS OF OMAHA. ATC RPTED HIS GND SPD AS 70 KTS. THE STUDENT DID MAKE IT TO OMA WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT HE NEEDED 23.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. USEFUL FUEL ON THE ACFT IS 24.5 GALLONS. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT IN THE ACFT WITH THE PLT, I FEEL SOMEWHAT INVOLVED SINCE I AM HIS INSTRUCTOR. REMEDIAL ACTION HERE WILL CONSIST OF NO FURTHER FLTS UNTIL I GIVE HIM 5 HRS OF GND INSTRUCTION AND 2-3 HRS ADDITIONAL XCOUNTRY DUAL, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FUEL MGMNT.

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.

A flight instructor reports that a private pilot under his instruction nearly ran out of gas on a night cross country. There will be extensive ground and flight instruction to follow. ZMP and oma TRACON collaborated in a flight assist.