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An air taxi pilot flying a PA31-350 from las returns to land immediately after departure when he realized he had insufficient fuel for his trip.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 482610 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200008 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bos.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : preflight |
| Route In Use | departure : vfr |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 685 |
| ASRS Report | 482610 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Departed with insufficient fuel to complete intended flight. Had to return. My flying is very routine and often very rushed. After landing, the airplane is fueled while I sign the manifest and grab my passenger. On this date, the airplane was parked in a slightly different location. The fueler was new. The plane didn't get fueled. I always read the 'before start' checklist and I always do a mental, sometimes verbal 'cigars' as a doublechk. Even though fuel is part of both of those checklists, I still departed without being fueled. I believe that rushing through the checklists allowed me to see what I wanted and was used to seeing. Have since forced myself to slow down regardless of outside pressure to do otherwise. If it wasn't important, it wouldn't be on the checklist.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIR TAXI PLT FLYING A PA31-350 FROM LAS RETURNS TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP WHEN HE REALIZED HE HAD INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR HIS TRIP.
Narrative: DEPARTED WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETE INTENDED FLT. HAD TO RETURN. MY FLYING IS VERY ROUTINE AND OFTEN VERY RUSHED. AFTER LNDG, THE AIRPLANE IS FUELED WHILE I SIGN THE MANIFEST AND GRAB MY PAX. ON THIS DATE, THE AIRPLANE WAS PARKED IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOCATION. THE FUELER WAS NEW. THE PLANE DIDN'T GET FUELED. I ALWAYS READ THE 'BEFORE START' CHKLIST AND I ALWAYS DO A MENTAL, SOMETIMES VERBAL 'CIGARS' AS A DOUBLECHK. EVEN THOUGH FUEL IS PART OF BOTH OF THOSE CHKLISTS, I STILL DEPARTED WITHOUT BEING FUELED. I BELIEVE THAT RUSHING THROUGH THE CHKLISTS ALLOWED ME TO SEE WHAT I WANTED AND WAS USED TO SEEING. HAVE SINCE FORCED MYSELF TO SLOW DOWN REGARDLESS OF OUTSIDE PRESSURE TO DO OTHERWISE. IF IT WASN'T IMPORTANT, IT WOULDN'T BE ON THE CHKLIST.
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.