A police small aircraft helicopter ran out of fuel and landed safety on an airport.

Attributes
ACN	240339
Time
Date	199304
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crg
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : crg
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7050 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	240339
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While performing aerial survey for suspect vehicle within the north edge of crg air traffic area and in contact with crg tower, there was no indication of the impending engine failure to come. Engine instruments were in the green, main fuel tank indicated better than 100 pounds and auxiliary tank gauge showed empty. I completed my survey and advised crg tower I was inbound for landing. I intended for this to be a full stop since I was on the edge of my VFR fuel reserves as indicated by my gauges including my fuel flow meter indicating better than 9 gallons remaining. I was cleared for landing adjacent to runway 14 and while on short final, at approximately 50 ft AGL, the engine completely shut down. At this time, I executed a safe automatic rotation to a running landing sustaining no damage or injury. Engine failure was traced to fuel exhaustion of the main tank. Factors involved were faulty indication of fuel tank gauges and never any fuel low warning light indicator coming on. Further checking revealed the remaining 9 gallons of fuel in the auxiliary tank which was not transferred to main tank due to failure of fuel transfer pump. Fuel sending unit was checked and found to have a loose spring causing faulty indications. Corrective action: installed new fuel sending unit and new fuel transfer pump.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A POLICE SMA HELI RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED SAFETY ON AN ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING AERIAL SURVEY FOR SUSPECT VEHICLE WITHIN THE N EDGE OF CRG ATA AND IN CONTACT WITH CRG TWR, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE IMPENDING ENG FAILURE TO COME. ENG INSTS WERE IN THE GREEN, MAIN FUEL TANK INDICATED BETTER THAN 100 LBS AND AUX TANK GAUGE SHOWED EMPTY. I COMPLETED MY SURVEY AND ADVISED CRG TWR I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. I INTENDED FOR THIS TO BE A FULL STOP SINCE I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY VFR FUEL RESERVES AS INDICATED BY MY GAUGES INCLUDING MY FUEL FLOW METER INDICATING BETTER THAN 9 GALLONS REMAINING. I WAS CLRED FOR LNDG ADJACENT TO RWY 14 AND WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, AT APPROX 50 FT AGL, THE ENG COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. AT THIS TIME, I EXECUTED A SAFE AUTO ROTATION TO A RUNNING LNDG SUSTAINING NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. ENG FAILURE WAS TRACED TO FUEL EXHAUSTION OF THE MAIN TANK. FACTORS INVOLVED WERE FAULTY INDICATION OF FUEL TANK GAUGES AND NEVER ANY FUEL LOW WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR COMING ON. FURTHER CHKING REVEALED THE REMAINING 9 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE AUX TANK WHICH WAS NOT TRANSFERRED TO MAIN TANK DUE TO FAILURE OF FUEL TRANSFER PUMP. FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS CHKED AND FOUND TO HAVE A LOOSE SPRING CAUSING FAULTY INDICATIONS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: INSTALLED NEW FUEL SENDING UNIT AND NEW FUEL TRANSFER PUMP.

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.