The pilot of a PA28 found that there was no fuel available at the airport so he decided to fly to a ...

Attributes
ACN	384695
Time
Date	199711
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1b1
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : alb
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 940 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	384695
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I called the airport that I was planning to depart from later in the day and was informed that they had not received their fuel delivery, so no fuel was available. Based on the length of the flight of 2 days prior I estimated that there was approximately 2 hours of fuel remaining in the tanks. During the prior flight I also remembered switching away from a fuel tank that had indicated 5 gals remaining, and experience had shown that the aircraft burned approximately 8 gph. As there was fuel available at an airport 20 mi away I decided to take this IFR flight first rather than proceeding to my final destination, 120 mi away. At the airport I looked inside each fuel tank. I was able to determine that there was some fuel in each tank, but could not estimate how much. The fuel gauges were indicating lower than I remembered when I had left (and when I switched from 1 tank last). I decided to takeoff. Soon after reaching the cruise altitude of 6000 ft the engine stopped running. I turned on carburetor heat, fuel pump, and switched fuel tanks to the right tank. After losing approximately 500 ft the engine restarted. I informed ATC that the engine had stopped, but had restarted and that I wanted to immediately proceed towards the destination (approximately 10 mi at this point). I was given vectors and permission to descend. ATC also suggested carburetor heat at that point. Using GPS and the vector I descended and was able to break out of the clouds and spot the airport and land. Upon landing the left fuel tank was empty. As I am sure that had been more fuel 2 days before, I believe that some fuel had been siphoned out by someone else who needed fuel and could not get any at the departure airport. The problem was caused by a lack of trust of fuel gauges, as well as the difficulty in estimating small amounts of fuel. I had no way to know, by looking in the tank, if there were 2 gals or 5 gals in the tank, especially when the aircraft was on hill with the nose somewhat upwards.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF A PA28 FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL AVAILABLE AT THE ARPT SO HE DECIDED TO FLY TO A NEARBY ARPT TO REFUEL. HOWEVER, THE FUEL REMAINING IN THE L TANK WAS MUCH LESS THAN HE HAD CALCULATED AND THE ENG QUIT AFTER LEVELOFF. HE WAS ABLE TO SWITCH TANKS AND RESTART THE ENG AND CONTINUE TO THE FUEL STOP. REF ACN 384696.

Narrative: I CALLED THE ARPT THAT I WAS PLANNING TO DEPART FROM LATER IN THE DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THEIR FUEL DELIVERY, SO NO FUEL WAS AVAILABLE. BASED ON THE LENGTH OF THE FLT OF 2 DAYS PRIOR I ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS APPROX 2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. DURING THE PRIOR FLT I ALSO REMEMBERED SWITCHING AWAY FROM A FUEL TANK THAT HAD INDICATED 5 GALS REMAINING, AND EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN THAT THE ACFT BURNED APPROX 8 GPH. AS THERE WAS FUEL AVAILABLE AT AN ARPT 20 MI AWAY I DECIDED TO TAKE THIS IFR FLT FIRST RATHER THAN PROCEEDING TO MY FINAL DEST, 120 MI AWAY. AT THE ARPT I LOOKED INSIDE EACH FUEL TANK. I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE WAS SOME FUEL IN EACH TANK, BUT COULD NOT ESTIMATE HOW MUCH. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING LOWER THAN I REMEMBERED WHEN I HAD LEFT (AND WHEN I SWITCHED FROM 1 TANK LAST). I DECIDED TO TKOF. SOON AFTER REACHING THE CRUISE ALT OF 6000 FT THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING. I TURNED ON CARB HEAT, FUEL PUMP, AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS TO THE R TANK. AFTER LOSING APPROX 500 FT THE ENG RESTARTED. I INFORMED ATC THAT THE ENG HAD STOPPED, BUT HAD RESTARTED AND THAT I WANTED TO IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TOWARDS THE DEST (APPROX 10 MI AT THIS POINT). I WAS GIVEN VECTORS AND PERMISSION TO DSND. ATC ALSO SUGGESTED CARB HEAT AT THAT POINT. USING GPS AND THE VECTOR I DSNDED AND WAS ABLE TO BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SPOT THE ARPT AND LAND. UPON LNDG THE L FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. AS I AM SURE THAT HAD BEEN MORE FUEL 2 DAYS BEFORE, I BELIEVE THAT SOME FUEL HAD BEEN SIPHONED OUT BY SOMEONE ELSE WHO NEEDED FUEL AND COULD NOT GET ANY AT THE DEP ARPT. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A LACK OF TRUST OF FUEL GAUGES, AS WELL AS THE DIFFICULTY IN ESTIMATING SMALL AMOUNTS OF FUEL. I HAD NO WAY TO KNOW, BY LOOKING IN THE TANK, IF THERE WERE 2 GALS OR 5 GALS IN THE TANK, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON HILL WITH THE NOSE SOMEWHAT UPWARDS.

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.