Narrative:

Failed to check fuel level via manometers during preflight. Departed hwd using nearly-empty left fuel tank. Fuel starvation occurred in cruise about 5 mins after departure. Switched to nearly-full right tank. Requested and received priority for downwind landing on lvk runway 7L. Last fueled aircraft at O88 on mar/sun/03 when it took more fuel than anticipated -- a warning sign -- then flew on to hwd, about 20 mins, 1/2 of flight on each tank. Aircraft was then idle until apr/sun/03. During preflight on apr/sun/03, noted small fuel stain on ramp under left fuel sump drain, but concluded it was overflow from nearby fuel tank vent -- illogical because tank was not full when parked and generally does not vent fuel unless full. Did not test fuel via sump drain. Did not verify fuel quantity via manometers. I try to remember, but it's frustrating because they are indeterminate when tanks are not full or empty --a mistake, because at least I would have known the left tank was empty. (Fuel is not visible at filler cap unless tank is completely full.) assumed quantity in each tank was around 10 gallons, based on duration of previous flight. Left tank was selected at end of last flight. Did not move fuel selector for engine start, taxi (5 mins), run-up, or departure (full length on longer of 2 runways, with left 270 to reduce risk, as is my habit). Noted heavy right wing on departure, assumed someone had bumped into trim tab. Electric fuel pump on for departure. Mechanical and electronic fuel pressure gauges both normal during departure. About 5 mins after departure, high/low fuel pressure warning annunciator illuminated. Verified zero fuel pressure, switched tanks, verified fuel pressure restored. Called lvk tower for priority. Did not suspect left tank was empty until after landing and shutdown, when another pilot suggested it. Assumed failure was due to blocked vent. Instead, failure apparently due to failed rubber line to fuel drain valve, with loss of nearly all fuel in left tank while aircraft was parked. Later flew aircraft back to hwd on right tank -- which I now regret, because we had not yet confirmed the reason for the failure. Several bad assumptions and warning signs missed. Bad preflight technique. Talked myself into innocuous answers. Will improve preflight technique and try harder to doubt easy explanations for unexpected aircraft behavior. Will resist flying aircraft with known discrepancy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA-1 PLT TOOK OFF WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE TANK. THE ENG QUIT WHEN THE TANK RAN DRY.

Narrative: FAILED TO CHK FUEL LEVEL VIA MANOMETERS DURING PREFLT. DEPARTED HWD USING NEARLY-EMPTY L FUEL TANK. FUEL STARVATION OCCURRED IN CRUISE ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER DEP. SWITCHED TO NEARLY-FULL R TANK. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PRIORITY FOR DOWNWIND LNDG ON LVK RWY 7L. LAST FUELED ACFT AT O88 ON MAR/SUN/03 WHEN IT TOOK MORE FUEL THAN ANTICIPATED -- A WARNING SIGN -- THEN FLEW ON TO HWD, ABOUT 20 MINS, 1/2 OF FLT ON EACH TANK. ACFT WAS THEN IDLE UNTIL APR/SUN/03. DURING PREFLT ON APR/SUN/03, NOTED SMALL FUEL STAIN ON RAMP UNDER L FUEL SUMP DRAIN, BUT CONCLUDED IT WAS OVERFLOW FROM NEARBY FUEL TANK VENT -- ILLOGICAL BECAUSE TANK WAS NOT FULL WHEN PARKED AND GENERALLY DOES NOT VENT FUEL UNLESS FULL. DID NOT TEST FUEL VIA SUMP DRAIN. DID NOT VERIFY FUEL QUANTITY VIA MANOMETERS. I TRY TO REMEMBER, BUT IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THEY ARE INDETERMINATE WHEN TANKS ARE NOT FULL OR EMPTY --A MISTAKE, BECAUSE AT LEAST I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THE L TANK WAS EMPTY. (FUEL IS NOT VISIBLE AT FILLER CAP UNLESS TANK IS COMPLETELY FULL.) ASSUMED QUANTITY IN EACH TANK WAS AROUND 10 GALLONS, BASED ON DURATION OF PREVIOUS FLT. L TANK WAS SELECTED AT END OF LAST FLT. DID NOT MOVE FUEL SELECTOR FOR ENG START, TAXI (5 MINS), RUN-UP, OR DEP (FULL LENGTH ON LONGER OF 2 RWYS, WITH L 270 TO REDUCE RISK, AS IS MY HABIT). NOTED HVY R WING ON DEP, ASSUMED SOMEONE HAD BUMPED INTO TRIM TAB. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ON FOR DEP. MECHANICAL AND ELECTRONIC FUEL PRESSURE GAUGES BOTH NORMAL DURING DEP. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER DEP, HIGH/LOW FUEL PRESSURE WARNING ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED. VERIFIED ZERO FUEL PRESSURE, SWITCHED TANKS, VERIFIED FUEL PRESSURE RESTORED. CALLED LVK TWR FOR PRIORITY. DID NOT SUSPECT L TANK WAS EMPTY UNTIL AFTER LNDG AND SHUTDOWN, WHEN ANOTHER PLT SUGGESTED IT. ASSUMED FAILURE WAS DUE TO BLOCKED VENT. INSTEAD, FAILURE APPARENTLY DUE TO FAILED RUBBER LINE TO FUEL DRAIN VALVE, WITH LOSS OF NEARLY ALL FUEL IN L TANK WHILE ACFT WAS PARKED. LATER FLEW ACFT BACK TO HWD ON R TANK -- WHICH I NOW REGRET, BECAUSE WE HAD NOT YET CONFIRMED THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE. SEVERAL BAD ASSUMPTIONS AND WARNING SIGNS MISSED. BAD PREFLT TECHNIQUE. TALKED MYSELF INTO INNOCUOUS ANSWERS. WILL IMPROVE PREFLT TECHNIQUE AND TRY HARDER TO DOUBT EASY EXPLANATIONS FOR UNEXPECTED ACFT BEHAVIOR. WILL RESIST FLYING ACFT WITH KNOWN DISCREPANCY.

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.