C310 pilot has rough running engines, declares an emergency. Fuel starvation suspected.

Attributes
ACN	558583
Time
Date	200208
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sgr.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon tower : sgr.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 33
ASRS Report	558583
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After descent from cruise, both engines began behaving unusually. Problem seemed to be fuel exhaustion -- 1 or both engines. Following emergency procedure and announcement of emergency to ATC, power appeared to be restored. ATC advised location nearest airport for emergency landing. PIC advised power restored and would continue to destination. On short final at sgr, power problem occurred again. Tower advised. Landing accomplished without incident, with 1 or both engines performing poorly. Aircraft refueled as soon as possible -- 40 gallons aboard. Wrong location. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the aircraft had approximately 40 gallons of fuel remaining upon landing and that the owner indicated that it was difficult to determine the fuel selector detents. He said he had only flown the aircraft 2 previous times and seemed to indicate that his experience level in the aircraft was not great.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PLT HAS ROUGH RUNNING ENGS, DECLARES AN EMER. FUEL STARVATION SUSPECTED.

Narrative: AFTER DSCNT FROM CRUISE, BOTH ENGS BEGAN BEHAVING UNUSUALLY. PROB SEEMED TO BE FUEL EXHAUSTION -- 1 OR BOTH ENGS. FOLLOWING EMER PROC AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF EMER TO ATC, PWR APPEARED TO BE RESTORED. ATC ADVISED LOCATION NEAREST ARPT FOR EMER LNDG. PIC ADVISED PWR RESTORED AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DEST. ON SHORT FINAL AT SGR, PWR PROB OCCURRED AGAIN. TWR ADVISED. LNDG ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT, WITH 1 OR BOTH ENGS PERFORMING POORLY. ACFT REFUELED ASAP -- 40 GALLONS ABOARD. WRONG LOCATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD APPROX 40 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING UPON LNDG AND THAT THE OWNER INDICATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE FUEL SELECTOR DETENTS. HE SAID HE HAD ONLY FLOWN THE ACFT 2 PREVIOUS TIMES AND SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT HIS EXPERIENCE LEVEL IN THE ACFT WAS NOT GREAT.

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.