Charter pilot of an small aircraft relied on fuel quantity information from company operations inste...

Attributes
ACN	330597
Time
Date	199603
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bkv
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : tpa
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 2850
ASRS Report	330597
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on a return leg of a flight from gainsville, fl, to st petersburg, fl. The WX that day was low overcast and IFR. As I was nearing bkv, en route to spg my engine started to run rough to the point where it wouldn't run anymore. Suspecting water from the heavy rain which I was flying in, I switched fuel tanks. The engine ran normal after that point for about 60 seconds, after which it happened again. Now I had absolutely no power. Knowing of my position relative to bkv, I asked tpa approach for help finding the airport. I declared an emergency to receive the controller's full attention, and after he told me I was only 4 mi from bkv airport I felt relieved. I continued to glide down, following his instructions, totally in IMC. I broke out of the WX about 300-500 ft AGL over bkv in a steep spiral and made a very safe landing. After I exited the airplane to check for fuel contamination I then realized what had happened. That morning I was misinformed of my fuel amount from my operations. Thinking the entire day that I had 30 gals more than I actually had. I ran out of fuel over bkv which was a result of an IFR departure without the required fuel plus 45 mins reserve.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER PLT OF AN SMA RELIED ON FUEL QUANTITY INFO FROM COMPANY OPS INSTEAD OF PHYSICALLY VERIFYING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE OUTCOME OF THE FLT INVOLVED A FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I WAS ON A RETURN LEG OF A FLT FROM GAINSVILLE, FL, TO ST PETERSBURG, FL. THE WX THAT DAY WAS LOW OVCST AND IFR. AS I WAS NEARING BKV, ENRTE TO SPG MY ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE IT WOULDN'T RUN ANYMORE. SUSPECTING WATER FROM THE HVY RAIN WHICH I WAS FLYING IN, I SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. THE ENG RAN NORMAL AFTER THAT POINT FOR ABOUT 60 SECONDS, AFTER WHICH IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PWR. KNOWING OF MY POS RELATIVE TO BKV, I ASKED TPA APCH FOR HELP FINDING THE ARPT. I DECLARED AN EMER TO RECEIVE THE CTLR'S FULL ATTN, AND AFTER HE TOLD ME I WAS ONLY 4 MI FROM BKV ARPT I FELT RELIEVED. I CONTINUED TO GLIDE DOWN, FOLLOWING HIS INSTRUCTIONS, TOTALLY IN IMC. I BROKE OUT OF THE WX ABOUT 300-500 FT AGL OVER BKV IN A STEEP SPIRAL AND MADE A VERY SAFE LNDG. AFTER I EXITED THE AIRPLANE TO CHK FOR FUEL CONTAMINATION I THEN REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THAT MORNING I WAS MISINFORMED OF MY FUEL AMOUNT FROM MY OPS. THINKING THE ENTIRE DAY THAT I HAD 30 GALS MORE THAN I ACTUALLY HAD. I RAN OUT OF FUEL OVER BKV WHICH WAS A RESULT OF AN IFR DEP WITHOUT THE REQUIRED FUEL PLUS 45 MINS RESERVE.

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.

Charter pilot of an small aircraft relied on fuel quantity information from company operations instead of physically verifying the amount of fuel on board. The outcome of the flight involved a forced landing due to fuel exhaustion.