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Pilot of an small aircraft sel was forced to make an off airport landing due engine fuel exhaustion. Reporter did not know how much fuel was in the tanks prior to takeoff. Fuel tanks were only partially filled and the gauges were relied upon.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 354734 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : vny |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 380 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 354734 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
A stranded aircraft was being returned to its home base. The pilot was not well rested and had a commitment at the destination airport. Strong headwinds were encountered en route and the flight became drawn out. Time and fuel quantity was reviewed. Alternate options were taken into account, but upon reference to the fuel gauges, it appeared that there was more than sufficient fuel to complete the flight. The engine began to run rough at which time engine out procedures were performed, such as carburetor heat application, mixture enrichment, etc. A forced landing on a freeway followed. I feel, had I been PIC, the outcome of the flight would have been different due to alternate decisions and cockpit management. In conclusion, fuel gauges are not a reliable source for decision making.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT LNDG DUE ENG FUEL EXHAUSTION. RPTR DID NOT KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE TANKS PRIOR TO TKOF. FUEL TANKS WERE ONLY PARTIALLY FILLED AND THE GAUGES WERE RELIED UPON.
Narrative: A STRANDED ACFT WAS BEING RETURNED TO ITS HOME BASE. THE PLT WAS NOT WELL RESTED AND HAD A COMMITMENT AT THE DEST ARPT. STRONG HEADWINDS WERE ENCOUNTERED ENRTE AND THE FLT BECAME DRAWN OUT. TIME AND FUEL QUANTITY WAS REVIEWED. ALTERNATE OPTIONS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BUT UPON REF TO THE FUEL GAUGES, IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT. THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AT WHICH TIME ENG OUT PROCS WERE PERFORMED, SUCH AS CARB HEAT APPLICATION, MIXTURE ENRICHMENT, ETC. A FORCED LNDG ON A FREEWAY FOLLOWED. I FEEL, HAD I BEEN PIC, THE OUTCOME OF THE FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT DUE TO ALTERNATE DECISIONS AND COCKPIT MGMNT. IN CONCLUSION, FUEL GAUGES ARE NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE FOR DECISION MAKING.
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.