Beech 90 cargo pilot declared an emergency and diverted to land after finding that fuel was streamin...

Attributes
ACN	536715
Time
Date	200201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cos.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc tower : den.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Airliner 99
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	536715
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity gauges.fuel venting over board. other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : investigated other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Took off from den at XA15. After leveling at 11000 ft MSL, did my system checks and noted the fuel gauges showed 1300 pounds in each wing (full). Fuel on takeoff was 900 pounds in each wing. Checked fuel system circuit breakers, but they were normal. Checked level in nacelle tanks and they were full (as expected). Approximately 10 mins later, I entered IMC. Since there was an airmet for ice and it was dark, I turned on the wing ice lights to check for ice. At that point, I noted fuel streaming from the fuel filler inlet in the left wing. I checked the right wing and also noted fuel coming from the fuel inlet. The fuel cap was displaced but attached to the airframe by its plastic connecting strap. Upon further scrutiny, I could tell the left wing fuel cap was missing. I contacted ZDV, declared an emergency and requested an immediate vector to cos or publication, whichever was closer. The controller said they were equidistant, but I remembered that publication was notamed closed. After checking, the controller confirmed the closure, so I went direct to cos. The WX there was approximately 3000 ft, 10 mi. I elected to land on runway 35R because it was closest. The landing was uneventful. Fuel had stopped siphoning from the wings before landing, and the quantity after landing was 450 pounds in the left wing and 750 pounds in the right. I had ordered fuel at dia after landing the previous night. The fueler had left a ticket for 80 gallons, but I was not present during the refueling. I looked at the fuel caps during preflight but failed to notice they were not properly secured. I had refueled at dia many times and the FBO that does the refueling seemed to have very well trained people. My prior experience with this and other reputable FBO's lulled me into trusting them more than I should have. Given the lighting conditions on the cargo ramp after dark, I should have made a more thorough preflight check.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 90 CARGO PLT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER FINDING THAT FUEL WAS STREAMING OVERBOARD OUT OF EACH MAIN WING TANK DUE TO THE FUEL CAP MISSING FROM TANK AND THE OTHER HANGING BY A PLASTIC STRAP.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM DEN AT XA15. AFTER LEVELING AT 11000 FT MSL, DID MY SYS CHKS AND NOTED THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 1300 LBS IN EACH WING (FULL). FUEL ON TKOF WAS 900 LBS IN EACH WING. CHKED FUEL SYS CIRCUIT BREAKERS, BUT THEY WERE NORMAL. CHKED LEVEL IN NACELLE TANKS AND THEY WERE FULL (AS EXPECTED). APPROX 10 MINS LATER, I ENTERED IMC. SINCE THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR ICE AND IT WAS DARK, I TURNED ON THE WING ICE LIGHTS TO CHK FOR ICE. AT THAT POINT, I NOTED FUEL STREAMING FROM THE FUEL FILLER INLET IN THE L WING. I CHKED THE R WING AND ALSO NOTED FUEL COMING FROM THE FUEL INLET. THE FUEL CAP WAS DISPLACED BUT ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME BY ITS PLASTIC CONNECTING STRAP. UPON FURTHER SCRUTINY, I COULD TELL THE L WING FUEL CAP WAS MISSING. I CONTACTED ZDV, DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO COS OR PUB, WHICHEVER WAS CLOSER. THE CTLR SAID THEY WERE EQUIDISTANT, BUT I REMEMBERED THAT PUB WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. AFTER CHKING, THE CTLR CONFIRMED THE CLOSURE, SO I WENT DIRECT TO COS. THE WX THERE WAS APPROX 3000 FT, 10 MI. I ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 35R BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSEST. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. FUEL HAD STOPPED SIPHONING FROM THE WINGS BEFORE LNDG, AND THE QUANTITY AFTER LNDG WAS 450 LBS IN THE L WING AND 750 LBS IN THE R. I HAD ORDERED FUEL AT DIA AFTER LNDG THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. THE FUELER HAD LEFT A TICKET FOR 80 GALLONS, BUT I WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE REFUELING. I LOOKED AT THE FUEL CAPS DURING PREFLT BUT FAILED TO NOTICE THEY WERE NOT PROPERLY SECURED. I HAD REFUELED AT DIA MANY TIMES AND THE FBO THAT DOES THE REFUELING SEEMED TO HAVE VERY WELL TRAINED PEOPLE. MY PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AND OTHER REPUTABLE FBO'S LULLED ME INTO TRUSTING THEM MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE. GIVEN THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS ON THE CARGO RAMP AFTER DARK, I SHOULD HAVE MADE A MORE THOROUGH PREFLT CHK.

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.

Beech 90 cargo pilot declared an emergency and diverted to land after finding that fuel was streaming overboard out of each main wing tank due to the fuel cap missing from tank and the other hanging by a plastic strap.