Fuel equipment problem 'notoriously unreliable' fuel gauges.

Attributes
ACN	303306
Time
Date	199505
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iln
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Baron 58/58TC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 7680 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	303306
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Be-58's are notorious for unreliable fuel gauges and, when I got this aircraft, it was less than full, so I couldn't be sure exactly how much fuel was on board. It hadn't been flown since the previous night and the pilot who had flown it was unavailable. I estimated the fuel I thought to be on the aircraft and added enough for the 1ST 3 legs. The fact that I didn't know for sure how much fuel was on board was a factor throughout the night. Finishing the 3RD leg, I added more fuel. I couldn't add too much or I would have a weight problem with the anticipated payload. I flew the next leg, and as I was preparing to return, I went through the checklist and noted fuel gauges indicated about 1/4 tanks. I took off and 20 mins into the flight noticed the left gauge on 'east.' because I couldn't prove to myself that it was wrong, I told the controller I had a low fuel situation and desired to land at the nearest suitable airport. He gave me priority handling to iln. Once on the ground, I refueled it, topping it off. I discovered that I had 4 gals more on board than I had calculated. There was plenty of fuel on board, the gauge was inaccurate. I'm not sure I would have done anything differently, but if we had a system in place where the previous pilot could have told me how much fuel he had left on board, I would have been much more confident of how much I took off with.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EQUIP PROB 'NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE' FUEL GAUGES.

Narrative: BE-58'S ARE NOTORIOUS FOR UNRELIABLE FUEL GAUGES AND, WHEN I GOT THIS ACFT, IT WAS LESS THAN FULL, SO I COULDN'T BE SURE EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD. IT HADN'T BEEN FLOWN SINCE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND THE PLT WHO HAD FLOWN IT WAS UNAVAILABLE. I ESTIMATED THE FUEL I THOUGHT TO BE ON THE ACFT AND ADDED ENOUGH FOR THE 1ST 3 LEGS. THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD WAS A FACTOR THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. FINISHING THE 3RD LEG, I ADDED MORE FUEL. I COULDN'T ADD TOO MUCH OR I WOULD HAVE A WT PROB WITH THE ANTICIPATED PAYLOAD. I FLEW THE NEXT LEG, AND AS I WAS PREPARING TO RETURN, I WENT THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND NOTED FUEL GAUGES INDICATED ABOUT 1/4 TANKS. I TOOK OFF AND 20 MINS INTO THE FLT NOTICED THE L GAUGE ON 'E.' BECAUSE I COULDN'T PROVE TO MYSELF THAT IT WAS WRONG, I TOLD THE CTLR I HAD A LOW FUEL SIT AND DESIRED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. HE GAVE ME PRIORITY HANDLING TO ILN. ONCE ON THE GND, I REFUELED IT, TOPPING IT OFF. I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD 4 GALS MORE ON BOARD THAN I HAD CALCULATED. THERE WAS PLENTY OF FUEL ON BOARD, THE GAUGE WAS INACCURATE. I'M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY, BUT IF WE HAD A SYS IN PLACE WHERE THE PREVIOUS PLT COULD HAVE TOLD ME HOW MUCH FUEL HE HAD LEFT ON BOARD, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE CONFIDENT OF HOW MUCH I TOOK OFF WITH.

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.