Narrative:

After airborne, the aircraft did not seem to be drawing fuel from the fuel cells in the wings but only from the nacelle tanks. This concerned me because they were drawn down below the 1/4 level. I was uncertain then as to how long I could sustain flight, so I altered my destination from nashville to chattanooga. The controller then cleared us from our cruise altitude (16000 ft) to 12000 ft. I started the descent. While descending, I noticed that the right nacelle tank was now below 1/8 tank and we were still 70 mi from chattanooga. I was contemplating declaring an emergency when the controller called and told me I was 400 ft below my assigned altitudes. I must have misread the altimeter in my scan while thinking about my fuel situation. I then told the controller about my fuel anomaly and asked for vectors to the closest field. He vectored me to gainesville, GA, and I landed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after diverting to gainesville and the fuel quantity indicators were checked all indications were normal. The reporter said he had just misread the instruments.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 90 IN CRUISE DIVERTED DUE TO SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION. DURING DSCNT HAD AN EXCURSION FROM THE ASSIGNED ALT. FOUND PLT MISREAD THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS.

Narrative: AFTER AIRBORNE, THE ACFT DID NOT SEEM TO BE DRAWING FUEL FROM THE FUEL CELLS IN THE WINGS BUT ONLY FROM THE NACELLE TANKS. THIS CONCERNED ME BECAUSE THEY WERE DRAWN DOWN BELOW THE 1/4 LEVEL. I WAS UNCERTAIN THEN AS TO HOW LONG I COULD SUSTAIN FLT, SO I ALTERED MY DEST FROM NASHVILLE TO CHATTANOOGA. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US FROM OUR CRUISE ALT (16000 FT) TO 12000 FT. I STARTED THE DSCNT. WHILE DSNDING, I NOTICED THAT THE R NACELLE TANK WAS NOW BELOW 1/8 TANK AND WE WERE STILL 70 MI FROM CHATTANOOGA. I WAS CONTEMPLATING DECLARING AN EMER WHEN THE CTLR CALLED AND TOLD ME I WAS 400 FT BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALTS. I MUST HAVE MISREAD THE ALTIMETER IN MY SCAN WHILE THINKING ABOUT MY FUEL SIT. I THEN TOLD THE CTLR ABOUT MY FUEL ANOMALY AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE CLOSEST FIELD. HE VECTORED ME TO GAINESVILLE, GA, AND I LANDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER DIVERTING TO GAINESVILLE AND THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS WERE CHKED ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE RPTR SAID HE HAD JUST MISREAD THE INSTS.

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.