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A flight instructor takes a trainee flying in a DA20 with low fuel quantity. Flight instructor loses track of flight time resulting in further low fuel, receives a warning light, and decides to use the remaining fuel for an off airport landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 409485 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199807 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : iaw airport : chd |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2600 |
| 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 | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 409485 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight instructing lesson. We left at XA00. There is no fuel available that early in the morning. Only had a 1/4 tank of gas. Based on prior experience I figured we'd be able to do the lesson no problem on that fuel. Now reconsidering I realize the error in this (1/4 tank equals 5 gals/fuel burn 6 gph). I assumed flight would be less than 1 hour. We then got distracted with other events and the flight ran long. The engine began to sputter (the fuel warning light came on 10 seconds before this). I landed on a road that I knew had light traffic. No one was hurt, no property nor plane was damaged. Corrective actions: I ran though all the emergency procedures taught to me. The fuel gauge still read an 1/8 of a tank when we landed. The fuel warning light is not as useful as it could be since it provided you with limited warning. Also in hindsight I had requested IFR clearance for the aircraft which was not IFR equipped (I forgot this fact at the time). We did not go in any clouds. This problem was purely a factor of me being too comfortable. I should have realized the stupidity of taking off with such limited fuel even though we were only going on a short flight. I should have also realized we were in the air for 1 hour and not trust the gauge. (I saw we had an 1/8 left and figured we had been in the air for 1 hour so we still had 1 hour left.)
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FLT INSTRUCTOR TAKES A TRAINEE FLYING IN A DA20 WITH LOW FUEL QUANTITY. FLT INSTRUCTOR LOSES TRACK OF FLT TIME RESULTING IN FURTHER LOW FUEL, RECEIVES A WARNING LIGHT, AND DECIDES TO USE THE REMAINING FUEL FOR AN OFF ARPT LNDG.
Narrative: FLT INSTRUCTING LESSON. WE LEFT AT XA00. THERE IS NO FUEL AVAILABLE THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING. ONLY HAD A 1/4 TANK OF GAS. BASED ON PRIOR EXPERIENCE I FIGURED WE'D BE ABLE TO DO THE LESSON NO PROB ON THAT FUEL. NOW RECONSIDERING I REALIZE THE ERROR IN THIS (1/4 TANK EQUALS 5 GALS/FUEL BURN 6 GPH). I ASSUMED FLT WOULD BE LESS THAN 1 HR. WE THEN GOT DISTRACTED WITH OTHER EVENTS AND THE FLT RAN LONG. THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER (THE FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON 10 SECONDS BEFORE THIS). I LANDED ON A ROAD THAT I KNEW HAD LIGHT TFC. NO ONE WAS HURT, NO PROPERTY NOR PLAnE WAS DAMAGED. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I RAN THOUGH ALL THE EMER PROCS TAUGHT TO ME. THE FUEL GAUGE STILL READ AN 1/8 OF A TANK WHEN WE LANDED. THE FUEL WARNING LIGHT IS NOT AS USEFUL AS IT COULD BE SINCE IT PROVIDED YOU WITH LIMITED WARNING. ALSO IN HINDSIGHT I HAD REQUESTED IFR CLRNC FOR THE ACFT WHICH WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED (I FORGOT THIS FACT AT THE TIME). WE DID NOT GO IN ANY CLOUDS. THIS PROB WAS PURELY A FACTOR OF ME BEING TOO COMFORTABLE. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THE STUPIDITY OF TAKING OFF WITH SUCH LIMITED FUEL EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ONLY GOING ON A SHORT FLT. I SHOULD HAVE ALSO REALIZED WE WERE IN THE AIR FOR 1 HR AND NOT TRUST THE GAUGE. (I SAW WE HAD AN 1/8 LEFT AND FIGURED WE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR 1 HR SO WE STILL HAD 1 HR LEFT.)
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.