Narrative:

I've had minimal experience in this aircraft at the time this trip came up. Was told by my chief pilot to ask other pilot on same trip in another aircraft any questions which might arise on this overnight trip to st louis. I asked other pilot as to what fuel I needed and was told fuel indicators were highly accurate with passenger aboard, run the fuel indicators to a certain point, then on the deadhead leg home, go ahead and run fuel indicators all the way down to empty on the indicator. On the deadhead home, I experienced complete fuel starvation a full 3/16-5/16 of an inch on the indicator above empty. Luckily, I landed 'deadstick' on the maquoketa, ia, airport after feathering and securing aircraft per checklist and pumping gear down and getting 3 green gear position lights 13 seconds before touchdown. All I asked of ZAU was position of nearest airport and said I was experiencing a fuel 'problem.' upon landing, called FSS to cancel IFR and said I and aircraft were fine and thank the ZAU controller for me. If I was not so worried about management complaining about buying fuel off-site, it never would have happened. I've been taught not to trust fuel gauges, use your watch and fuel burn rate. My performance in the situation is one I'm proud of. I secured aircraft per checklist. At the last possible moment after spotting airport, I pumped the gear down. Aircraft speed was determined quite simply by minimum sink rate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT RUNS OUT OF GAS AND LANDS DEADSTICK ON AN ARPT AFTER BEING MISLED ABOUT ACCURACY OF FUEL GUAGES.

Narrative: I'VE HAD MINIMAL EXPERIENCE IN THIS ACFT AT THE TIME THIS TRIP CAME UP. WAS TOLD BY MY CHIEF PLT TO ASK OTHER PLT ON SAME TRIP IN ANOTHER ACFT ANY QUESTIONS WHICH MIGHT ARISE ON THIS OVERNIGHT TRIP TO ST LOUIS. I ASKED OTHER PLT AS TO WHAT FUEL I NEEDED AND WAS TOLD FUEL INDICATORS WERE HIGHLY ACCURATE WITH PAX ABOARD, RUN THE FUEL INDICATORS TO A CERTAIN POINT, THEN ON THE DEADHEAD LEG HOME, GO AHEAD AND RUN FUEL INDICATORS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EMPTY ON THE INDICATOR. ON THE DEADHEAD HOME, I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE FUEL STARVATION A FULL 3/16-5/16 OF AN INCH ON THE INDICATOR ABOVE EMPTY. LUCKILY, I LANDED 'DEADSTICK' ON THE MAQUOKETA, IA, ARPT AFTER FEATHERING AND SECURING ACFT PER CHKLIST AND PUMPING GEAR DOWN AND GETTING 3 GREEN GEAR POS LIGHTS 13 SECONDS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. ALL I ASKED OF ZAU WAS POS OF NEAREST ARPT AND SAID I WAS EXPERIENCING A FUEL 'PROB.' UPON LNDG, CALLED FSS TO CANCEL IFR AND SAID I AND ACFT WERE FINE AND THANK THE ZAU CTLR FOR ME. IF I WAS NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT MGMNT COMPLAINING ABOUT BUYING FUEL OFF-SITE, IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I'VE BEEN TAUGHT NOT TO TRUST FUEL GAUGES, USE YOUR WATCH AND FUEL BURN RATE. MY PERFORMANCE IN THE SIT IS ONE I'M PROUD OF. I SECURED ACFT PER CHKLIST. AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT AFTER SPOTTING ARPT, I PUMPED THE GEAR DOWN. ACFT SPD WAS DETERMINED QUITE SIMPLY BY MINIMUM SINK RATE.

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.