Narrative:

While en route from ktb to north whale, wwp, the engine suddenly quit. I had noticed the rear tank was getting low and I was anticipating a tank change, so return of fuel flow was as simple as switching tanks and operating the wobble (land) pump until the engine driven pump kicked in. The rear tank however, still showed just under 1/5 of a tank. The front and center tanks had approximately 1 hour of fuel in each still. This aircraft was not my normally assigned plane -- I had never flown it before. Each plane I had flown previously had gauges that read empty when there was actually a slight amount of fuel left. Also, there is a low fuel pressure warning light that is supposed to come on when the fuel pressure drops below 3 psi (normal is 5 psi). This light illuminates 15-30 seconds before the engine stops (I found this out later, trying the rear tank while sitting at the dock). But the light is down below the fuel gauges which are below the right knee of the pilot. Factors: fatigue: I had been on duty since early am and had over 6 1/2 hours of flying up to the event. Our regular duty times are the maximum allowed -- 14 hours/day, 6 days/week. WX: marginal VFR -- the normal WX for southeast ak. Inaccurate fuel gauge: FARS state that the only time a fuel gauge must read correctly is when it is empty. Location of fuel gauges and low pressure warning light: some of our aircraft have this light right in front of the pilot's face -- where it should be -- not below your knee. An unfamiliar aircraft: this was not my usually assigned plane and no one had mentioned this 'quirk' to me. Results: the plane is to be sent to maintenance and the tank is to be pulled. Also, I think I will leave the last 1/5 of each tank alone from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG QUITS AS FUEL TANK RUNS DRY.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM KTB TO N WHALE, WWP, THE ENG SUDDENLY QUIT. I HAD NOTICED THE REAR TANK WAS GETTING LOW AND I WAS ANTICIPATING A TANK CHANGE, SO RETURN OF FUEL FLOW WAS AS SIMPLE AS SWITCHING TANKS AND OPERATING THE WOBBLE (LAND) PUMP UNTIL THE ENG DRIVEN PUMP KICKED IN. THE REAR TANK HOWEVER, STILL SHOWED JUST UNDER 1/5 OF A TANK. THE FRONT AND CTR TANKS HAD APPROX 1 HR OF FUEL IN EACH STILL. THIS ACFT WAS NOT MY NORMALLY ASSIGNED PLANE -- I HAD NEVER FLOWN IT BEFORE. EACH PLANE I HAD FLOWN PREVIOUSLY HAD GAUGES THAT READ EMPTY WHEN THERE WAS ACTUALLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT. ALSO, THERE IS A LOW FUEL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO COME ON WHEN THE FUEL PRESSURE DROPS BELOW 3 PSI (NORMAL IS 5 PSI). THIS LIGHT ILLUMINATES 15-30 SECONDS BEFORE THE ENG STOPS (I FOUND THIS OUT LATER, TRYING THE REAR TANK WHILE SITTING AT THE DOCK). BUT THE LIGHT IS DOWN BELOW THE FUEL GAUGES WHICH ARE BELOW THE R KNEE OF THE PLT. FACTORS: FATIGUE: I HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE EARLY AM AND HAD OVER 6 1/2 HRS OF FLYING UP TO THE EVENT. OUR REGULAR DUTY TIMES ARE THE MAX ALLOWED -- 14 HRS/DAY, 6 DAYS/WK. WX: MARGINAL VFR -- THE NORMAL WX FOR SE AK. INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE: FARS STATE THAT THE ONLY TIME A FUEL GAUGE MUST READ CORRECTLY IS WHEN IT IS EMPTY. LOCATION OF FUEL GAUGES AND LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT: SOME OF OUR ACFT HAVE THIS LIGHT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PLT'S FACE -- WHERE IT SHOULD BE -- NOT BELOW YOUR KNEE. AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT: THIS WAS NOT MY USUALLY ASSIGNED PLANE AND NO ONE HAD MENTIONED THIS 'QUIRK' TO ME. RESULTS: THE PLANE IS TO BE SENT TO MAINT AND THE TANK IS TO BE PULLED. ALSO, I THINK I WILL LEAVE THE LAST 1/5 OF EACH TANK ALONE FROM NOW ON.

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.