 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A BA46 flight crew declared fuel critical status and asked for priority handling when the fuel low level light illuminated during their descent into den. The flight crew misread fuel gauges during preflight and had not detected the low amount of fuel until en route. Using new calculations they believed that they would be able to land with 30 mins of fuel remaining.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 335855 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gck |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | HS 125 Series 1-600 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zdv |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 17600 flight time type : 6100 |
| ASRS Report | 335855 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 335852 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The captain and myself confirmed 14800 pounds of fuel onboard at the time we were completing our prestart checklist. En route from sgf to den, the captain alerted me that either there was something wrong with our fuel gauges or we were low on fuel. I was flying the aircraft, so the captain computed fuel remaining, time, and distance to go. It was determined we could safely land at den with 30 mins of fuel remaining, upon landing. After reviewing everything that happened we came to the conclusion that we misread our fuel gauges. Also, there is a high probability we took off with only 11800 pounds of fuel (nearly 2200 pounds under minimum amount). In the future, I will physically touch the fuel gauge face to be absolutely sure it matches our minimum amount on the dispatch release. Supplemental information from acn 335852: I recalculated the available data and asked the first officer to rechk my numbers. After doing so he agreed with my decision that we could safely continue to den. Nearing den the fuel low level light illuminated at which time I requested priority handling. We landed uneventfully and fuel remaining was 2000 pounds.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BA46 FLC DECLARED FUEL CRITICAL STATUS AND ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING WHEN THE FUEL LOW LEVEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING THEIR DSCNT INTO DEN. THE FLC MISREAD FUEL GAUGES DURING PREFLT AND HAD NOT DETECTED THE LOW AMOUNT OF FUEL UNTIL ENRTE. USING NEW CALCULATIONS THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND WITH 30 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING.
Narrative: THE CAPT AND MYSELF CONFIRMED 14800 LBS OF FUEL ONBOARD AT THE TIME WE WERE COMPLETING OUR PRESTART CHKLIST. ENRTE FROM SGF TO DEN, THE CAPT ALERTED ME THAT EITHER THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR FUEL GAUGES OR WE WERE LOW ON FUEL. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT, SO THE CAPT COMPUTED FUEL REMAINING, TIME, AND DISTANCE TO GO. IT WAS DETERMINED WE COULD SAFELY LAND AT DEN WITH 30 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING, UPON LNDG. AFTER REVIEWING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE MISREAD OUR FUEL GAUGES. ALSO, THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY WE TOOK OFF WITH ONLY 11800 LBS OF FUEL (NEARLY 2200 LBS UNDER MINIMUM AMOUNT). IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PHYSICALLY TOUCH THE FUEL GAUGE FACE TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE IT MATCHES OUR MINIMUM AMOUNT ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335852: I RECALCULATED THE AVAILABLE DATA AND ASKED THE FO TO RECHK MY NUMBERS. AFTER DOING SO HE AGREED WITH MY DECISION THAT WE COULD SAFELY CONTINUE TO DEN. NEARING DEN THE FUEL LOW LEVEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT WHICH TIME I REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND FUEL REMAINING WAS 2000 LBS.
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.