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Helicopter pilot finds himself short of fuel and lands en route to call for more. Suspects improper fueling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 444120 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199907 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ogg.airport |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | msl single value : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 444120 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : low fuel warning other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Flight was planned for minimum fuel reserves with 2 short tours (sight-seeing) out of another airport without any fuel on that airport. I made the planned flts on time or less than planned but didn't have the fuel reserves as planned. I flew the last leg knowing I may have to land short and have fuel flown or driven to my landing spot (which is what occurred). When I got the low fuel light, I landed at a location where I hoped I could be brought fuel and called our base with my cell phone. I believe that our fueler (we were hot fueling) was told to fill the helicopter all the way, he did not fill it properly (it must be slow and or burped in this type). Since we normally don't fill the aircraft in this way (all the way) I didn't know whether or not to believe the gauge and therefore I relied on the fueler to top it off. In hindsight I should have diverted my second tour with passenger back to our home base airport for fuel or at minimum parked the aircraft at the remote airport (without fuel) and called my employer about having fuel sent out.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT FINDS HIMSELF SHORT OF FUEL AND LANDS ENRTE TO CALL FOR MORE. SUSPECTS IMPROPER FUELING.
Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED FOR MINIMUM FUEL RESERVES WITH 2 SHORT TOURS (SIGHT-SEEING) OUT OF ANOTHER ARPT WITHOUT ANY FUEL ON THAT ARPT. I MADE THE PLANNED FLTS ON TIME OR LESS THAN PLANNED BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE FUEL RESERVES AS PLANNED. I FLEW THE LAST LEG KNOWING I MAY HAVE TO LAND SHORT AND HAVE FUEL FLOWN OR DRIVEN TO MY LNDG SPOT (WHICH IS WHAT OCCURRED). WHEN I GOT THE LOW FUEL LIGHT, I LANDED AT A LOCATION WHERE I HOPED I COULD BE BROUGHT FUEL AND CALLED OUR BASE WITH MY CELL PHONE. I BELIEVE THAT OUR FUELER (WE WERE HOT FUELING) WAS TOLD TO FILL THE HELI ALL THE WAY, HE DID NOT FILL IT PROPERLY (IT MUST BE SLOW AND OR BURPED IN THIS TYPE). SINCE WE NORMALLY DON'T FILL THE ACFT IN THIS WAY (ALL THE WAY) I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT TO BELIEVE THE GAUGE AND THEREFORE I RELIED ON THE FUELER TO TOP IT OFF. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED MY SECOND TOUR WITH PAX BACK TO OUR HOME BASE ARPT FOR FUEL OR AT MINIMUM PARKED THE ACFT AT THE REMOTE ARPT (WITHOUT FUEL) AND CALLED MY EMPLOYER ABOUT HAVING FUEL SENT OUT.
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.