Narrative:

I was notified of a trip for the next morning from albany to jfk to glens falls to the home base in the small transport Y with that same copilot. I called the FBO at albany where the small transport Y was hangared and asked them to top off the wing tanks (2586 pounds total). The man on the phone said that it would be taken care of that night because the hangar had to be stocked -- there were a few airplanes that had to go in. The copilot and I arrived at albany about 45 mins before our departure time. I turned on the battery switch and both fuel gauges showed 1400 pounds -- 100 pounds high. My copilot and I took off about 15 mins late due to a sanding operation on one of the runways. We landed at jfk 50 mins later and taxied to the FBO. We picked up our 1 passenger and taxied to the runway. We were about 7TH in line for takeoff. While we waited in line, the copilot asked how we knew how much fuel we had on board, since the right fuel gauge was indicating 850-950 pounds and the left was indicating about 1200 pounds. I took out my calculator and started on the math. About 5 mins later, while still waiting in line, I noticed that the right fuel flow meter fluctuated and then the right engine quit. Thinking that the low pressure engine-driven fuel pump had failed, I turned on the electric standby boost pump. Since the right fuel pressure light remained lit after I turned on the electric standby boost pump, I determined that we must be out of fuel. This was confirmed by the right fuel quantity gauge dropping suddenly from 950 pounds to 600 pounds. I taxied back to the FBO. At no time did either fuel gauge ever indicate 0. I had both main tanks filled. The aircraft holds 386 gallons, and the FBO pumped 386 gallons into it. I called the home base. A mechanic was flown to jfk to sign the ferry permit. A ferry permit was required because the small transport Y does not have an MEL. The mechanic told me that inaccurate fuel gauges had been a problem for a while. Multiple times he had been asked to clean the connectors, but the gauges and any internal parts in the wings had never been replaced. I ferried the aircraft back to the home base. Since my car was at home, I got a ride from one of the aircraft's regular capts. He commented on the incident. 'I'm sorry. We almost put you in the ground today because the other pilots and I did not squawk the fuel gauges. We told the mechanics verbally and all they did was clean connectors.' he added the comment that the fuel gauges had been a problem since before I started working at this company. One of the major causes of this incident was the fact that other pilots did not write up problems that they found with the airplane. The company's attitude is that revenue is more important than safety. The pilot must determine whether something is important enough to ground the plane over. I personally was talked to more than once for writing up items that I thought were important. I also noticed on many occasions that items that were written up were signed off, but the problem still existed. Because of the incident any many others, I have quit working for this company. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was called to suggest use of the FAA hotline. He is reluctant to use it since other pilots who still work for the company are the ones who will probably get violated. It was suggested that he mention only the poor maintenance conditions and attitude, but he is still reluctant feeling the pilots will take the brunt of any investigation for continuing to fly the equipment. He left because he felt a violation for flying such equipment would be very detrimental to any future career direction he will take. Better to avoid the situation than have a violation on his record. Unfortunately he now has 0 salary but looking.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER FLC HAS ENG QUIT WHILE IN LINE FOR TKOF. FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I WAS NOTIFIED OF A TRIP FOR THE NEXT MORNING FROM ALBANY TO JFK TO GLENS FALLS TO THE HOME BASE IN THE SMT Y WITH THAT SAME COPLT. I CALLED THE FBO AT ALBANY WHERE THE SMT Y WAS HANGARED AND ASKED THEM TO TOP OFF THE WING TANKS (2586 LBS TOTAL). THE MAN ON THE PHONE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THE HANGAR HAD TO BE STOCKED -- THERE WERE A FEW AIRPLANES THAT HAD TO GO IN. THE COPLT AND I ARRIVED AT ALBANY ABOUT 45 MINS BEFORE OUR DEP TIME. I TURNED ON THE BATTERY SWITCH AND BOTH FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 1400 LBS -- 100 LBS HIGH. MY COPLT AND I TOOK OFF ABOUT 15 MINS LATE DUE TO A SANDING OP ON ONE OF THE RWYS. WE LANDED AT JFK 50 MINS LATER AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. WE PICKED UP OUR 1 PAX AND TAXIED TO THE RWY. WE WERE ABOUT 7TH IN LINE FOR TKOF. WHILE WE WAITED IN LINE, THE COPLT ASKED HOW WE KNEW HOW MUCH FUEL WE HAD ON BOARD, SINCE THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS INDICATING 850-950 LBS AND THE L WAS INDICATING ABOUT 1200 LBS. I TOOK OUT MY CALCULATOR AND STARTED ON THE MATH. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, WHILE STILL WAITING IN LINE, I NOTICED THAT THE R FUEL FLOW METER FLUCTUATED AND THEN THE R ENG QUIT. THINKING THAT THE LOW PRESSURE ENG-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED, I TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC STANDBY BOOST PUMP. SINCE THE R FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT REMAINED LIT AFTER I TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC STANDBY BOOST PUMP, I DETERMINED THAT WE MUST BE OUT OF FUEL. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE R FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE DROPPING SUDDENLY FROM 950 LBS TO 600 LBS. I TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO. AT NO TIME DID EITHER FUEL GAUGE EVER INDICATE 0. I HAD BOTH MAIN TANKS FILLED. THE ACFT HOLDS 386 GALLONS, AND THE FBO PUMPED 386 GALLONS INTO IT. I CALLED THE HOME BASE. A MECH WAS FLOWN TO JFK TO SIGN THE FERRY PERMIT. A FERRY PERMIT WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE THE SMT Y DOES NOT HAVE AN MEL. THE MECH TOLD ME THAT INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES HAD BEEN A PROB FOR A WHILE. MULTIPLE TIMES HE HAD BEEN ASKED TO CLEAN THE CONNECTORS, BUT THE GAUGES AND ANY INTERNAL PARTS IN THE WINGS HAD NEVER BEEN REPLACED. I FERRIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE HOME BASE. SINCE MY CAR WAS AT HOME, I GOT A RIDE FROM ONE OF THE ACFT'S REGULAR CAPTS. HE COMMENTED ON THE INCIDENT. 'I'M SORRY. WE ALMOST PUT YOU IN THE GND TODAY BECAUSE THE OTHER PLTS AND I DID NOT SQUAWK THE FUEL GAUGES. WE TOLD THE MECHS VERBALLY AND ALL THEY DID WAS CLEAN CONNECTORS.' HE ADDED THE COMMENT THAT THE FUEL GAUGES HAD BEEN A PROB SINCE BEFORE I STARTED WORKING AT THIS COMPANY. ONE OF THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT OTHER PLTS DID NOT WRITE UP PROBS THAT THEY FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE COMPANY'S ATTITUDE IS THAT REVENUE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SAFETY. THE PLT MUST DETERMINE WHETHER SOMETHING IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GND THE PLANE OVER. I PERSONALLY WAS TALKED TO MORE THAN ONCE FOR WRITING UP ITEMS THAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT. I ALSO NOTICED ON MANY OCCASIONS THAT ITEMS THAT WERE WRITTEN UP WERE SIGNED OFF, BUT THE PROB STILL EXISTED. BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT ANY MANY OTHERS, I HAVE QUIT WORKING FOR THIS COMPANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS CALLED TO SUGGEST USE OF THE FAA HOTLINE. HE IS RELUCTANT TO USE IT SINCE OTHER PLTS WHO STILL WORK FOR THE COMPANY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL PROBABLY GET VIOLATED. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT HE MENTION ONLY THE POOR MAINT CONDITIONS AND ATTITUDE, BUT HE IS STILL RELUCTANT FEELING THE PLTS WILL TAKE THE BRUNT OF ANY INVESTIGATION FOR CONTINUING TO FLY THE EQUIP. HE LEFT BECAUSE HE FELT A VIOLATION FOR FLYING SUCH EQUIP WOULD BE VERY DETRIMENTAL TO ANY FUTURE CAREER DIRECTION HE WILL TAKE. BETTER TO AVOID THE SIT THAN HAVE A VIOLATION ON HIS RECORD. UNFORTUNATELY HE NOW HAS 0 SALARY BUT LOOKING.

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.