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Fuel exhaustion gauges.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 291841 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199412 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tgc |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Experimental |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 291841 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Fuel exhaustion as a result of several factors. New homebuilt aircraft was in test flight program and I was second pilot to fly on third flight. Fuel gauges were known to not be properly calibrated, however, right tank was properly calibrated to show empty. It subsequently did not stay in calibration and was, in fact, empty at the 1/eighth level. Nose tank has a sight tube for quantity and we are having problems with its accuracy. I did not expect those problems due to its simplicity of operation. The plan was to fly most of the gas out and drain the remainder to properly calibrate all quantity gauges. Fuel exhaustion occurred approaching airport for landing with 6 plus gallons indicated on sight tube, 3/8 remaining in left tank and 1/8 remaining in right tank. Further compounding the problem, I did not know the exact length of time the first pilot flew, and it is not possible to visually observe the amount of fuel in the wing tanks. Corrective action consists of solving the problem with the fuel line to the sight tube (removing a high spot in the line) and working with the manufacturer of the fuel probe calibration system to secure the set screws. I will also be more conservative in my estimation of fuel on board. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he was able to reach the field and landed with virtually no damage to the aircraft. His frustration is with the inaccuracy of his fuel quantities in the tanks. The wing tanks have electric gauges which are not very accurate. The manufacturer is not offering much help. The engine is fed by the nose tank with transfer pumps. He has reworked the sight gauge calibration and feels very comfortable with it at this time. He is primarily using time as a means of fuel control, not relying on gauges. The major problem is that the wing is composite and so he would have to take the wing completely apart to fix the problem. That does not seem too sensible at this time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION GAUGES.
Narrative: FUEL EXHAUSTION AS A RESULT OF SEVERAL FACTORS. NEW HOMEBUILT ACFT WAS IN TEST FLT PROGRAM AND I WAS SECOND PLT TO FLY ON THIRD FLT. FUEL GAUGES WERE KNOWN TO NOT BE PROPERLY CALIBRATED, HOWEVER, R TANK WAS PROPERLY CALIBRATED TO SHOW EMPTY. IT SUBSEQUENTLY DID NOT STAY IN CALIBRATION AND WAS, IN FACT, EMPTY AT THE 1/EIGHTH LEVEL. NOSE TANK HAS A SIGHT TUBE FOR QUANTITY AND WE ARE HAVING PROBS WITH ITS ACCURACY. I DID NOT EXPECT THOSE PROBS DUE TO ITS SIMPLICITY OF OP. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY MOST OF THE GAS OUT AND DRAIN THE REMAINDER TO PROPERLY CALIBRATE ALL QUANTITY GAUGES. FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED APCHING ARPT FOR LNDG WITH 6 PLUS GALLONS INDICATED ON SIGHT TUBE, 3/8 REMAINING IN L TANK AND 1/8 REMAINING IN R TANK. FURTHER COMPOUNDING THE PROB, I DID NOT KNOW THE EXACT LENGTH OF TIME THE FIRST PLT FLEW, AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO VISUALLY OBSERVE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE WING TANKS. CORRECTIVE ACTION CONSISTS OF SOLVING THE PROB WITH THE FUEL LINE TO THE SIGHT TUBE (REMOVING A HIGH SPOT IN THE LINE) AND WORKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FUEL PROBE CALIBRATION SYS TO SECURE THE SET SCREWS. I WILL ALSO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE IN MY ESTIMATION OF FUEL ON BOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS ABLE TO REACH THE FIELD AND LANDED WITH VIRTUALLY NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. HIS FRUSTRATION IS WITH THE INACCURACY OF HIS FUEL QUANTITIES IN THE TANKS. THE WING TANKS HAVE ELECTRIC GAUGES WHICH ARE NOT VERY ACCURATE. THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT OFFERING MUCH HELP. THE ENG IS FED BY THE NOSE TANK WITH TRANSFER PUMPS. HE HAS REWORKED THE SIGHT GAUGE CALIBRATION AND FEELS VERY COMFORTABLE WITH IT AT THIS TIME. HE IS PRIMARILY USING TIME AS A MEANS OF FUEL CTL, NOT RELYING ON GAUGES. THE MAJOR PROB IS THAT THE WING IS COMPOSITE AND SO HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE WING COMPLETELY APART TO FIX THE PROB. THAT DOES NOT SEEM TOO SENSIBLE AT THIS TIME.
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.