A cessna T206 in cruise at 3500 ft diverted due to critical fuel situation.

Attributes
ACN	536735
Time
Date	200201
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wri.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : wri.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 390 flight time type : 32
ASRS Report	536735
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : low fuel annunciames other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight plan called for consumption of 100-105 gallons maximum for round-trip from ZZZ to hse to ZZZ. Flight planning was done with duats using real time current WX plus winds prior to flight and poh for cessna T-206 performance fuel burn sections. Aircraft just out of maintenance just having 'flynt' wing-tip tanks installed -- first flight out. Nothing extraordinary about flight to hse or return leg until north of acy. Xferred to flight following from acy to wri. Noticed fuel gauges at wri were indicating much less fuel available than preflight planning or duration of trip -- 4.3 hours should have shown. Low fuel annunciator light for left tank went on and I indicated to wri I would be diverting to ttn for fuel which was approved. Total fuel on board at start of flight was 88 gallons usable in mains and 29 gallons usable in flynt tip tanks. Fuel xfer timed and noted on ZZZ to hse leg of trip. At the point of diverting to ttn, I should have had 25-30 gallons of usable fuel in the main tanks. Upon making my standard rate turn to ttn, both left and right fuel annunciator lights activated, stayed on, and fuel gauges for left and right mains were indicating near zero. Not knowing if I had a fuel leak developing (plane first time out of maintenance after tip tanks and new plumbing installed) or gauges which were inaccurate, I notified wri flight following I had a 'critical' fuel situation and requested vectors to nearest airport. Wri was not able to comply with vectors. I then requested permission to land at wri AFB due to critical fuel situation. Permission was granted to land on runway 36 at wri AFB. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane was returned to maintenance to check fuel, quantity indication, actual usable fuel storage and the fuel xfer system from the tip tanks. The reporter said all system checked ok and the airplane has flown with no problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA T206 IN CRUISE AT 3500 FT DIVERTED DUE TO CRITICAL FUEL SIT.

Narrative: FLT PLAN CALLED FOR CONSUMPTION OF 100-105 GALLONS MAX FOR ROUND-TRIP FROM ZZZ TO HSE TO ZZZ. FLT PLANNING WAS DONE WITH DUATS USING REAL TIME CURRENT WX PLUS WINDS PRIOR TO FLT AND POH FOR CESSNA T-206 PERFORMANCE FUEL BURN SECTIONS. ACFT JUST OUT OF MAINT JUST HAVING 'FLYNT' WING-TIP TANKS INSTALLED -- FIRST FLT OUT. NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT FLT TO HSE OR RETURN LEG UNTIL N OF ACY. XFERRED TO FLT FOLLOWING FROM ACY TO WRI. NOTICED FUEL GAUGES AT WRI WERE INDICATING MUCH LESS FUEL AVAILABLE THAN PREFLT PLANNING OR DURATION OF TRIP -- 4.3 HRS SHOULD HAVE SHOWN. LOW FUEL ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT FOR L TANK WENT ON AND I INDICATED TO WRI I WOULD BE DIVERTING TO TTN FOR FUEL WHICH WAS APPROVED. TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD AT START OF FLT WAS 88 GALLONS USABLE IN MAINS AND 29 GALLONS USABLE IN FLYNT TIP TANKS. FUEL XFER TIMED AND NOTED ON ZZZ TO HSE LEG OF TRIP. AT THE POINT OF DIVERTING TO TTN, I SHOULD HAVE HAD 25-30 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL IN THE MAIN TANKS. UPON MAKING MY STANDARD RATE TURN TO TTN, BOTH L AND R FUEL ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS ACTIVATED, STAYED ON, AND FUEL GAUGES FOR L AND R MAINS WERE INDICATING NEAR ZERO. NOT KNOWING IF I HAD A FUEL LEAK DEVELOPING (PLANE FIRST TIME OUT OF MAINT AFTER TIP TANKS AND NEW PLUMBING INSTALLED) OR GAUGES WHICH WERE INACCURATE, I NOTIFIED WRI FLT FOLLOWING I HAD A 'CRITICAL' FUEL SIT AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO NEAREST ARPT. WRI WAS NOT ABLE TO COMPLY WITH VECTORS. I THEN REQUESTED PERMISSION TO LAND AT WRI AFB DUE TO CRITICAL FUEL SIT. PERMISSION WAS GRANTED TO LAND ON RWY 36 AT WRI AFB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS RETURNED TO MAINT TO CHK FUEL, QUANTITY INDICATION, ACTUAL USABLE FUEL STORAGE AND THE FUEL XFER SYS FROM THE TIP TANKS. THE RPTR SAID ALL SYS CHKED OK AND THE AIRPLANE HAS FLOWN WITH NO PROBS.

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.