Pilot of C210 experienced temporary engine failure after switching fuel confign to empty tank. Regai...

Narrative:

I preflted the aircraft in preparation for a flight to day approximately 1 hour flight time. The aircraft's fuel tanks were not full, but the gauges indicated better than half tanks on both sides. My error came when I stuck the tanks. I was feeling a little rushed and I did not take close notice to the exact amount of fuel on the stick. I simply noted there was fuel on the stick, and remembered what the gauges showed, slightly better than half tanks. The flight today was uneventful. I did not re-stick the fuel tanks in day because I had already determined that I had more than enough fuel for the return trip, and the fuel gauges agreed. I departed day and was burning off the right tank because it had a higher fuel indication, and I try to keep the tanks within about a quarter of each other. I was in cruise flight at 3500 ft MSL, when I determined it was time to switch to the fuller left tank. I switched to the left side and monitored my fuel flow gauge for a few moments and everything appeared normal. After several mins the engine shut down. I pushed the mixture rich and turned on the fuel pump. Neither of those 2 actions corrected the problem so I immediately declared an emergency with day approach control. I also squawked 7700. Day approach advised I23 at my 12 O'clock position, approximately 15 mi. I had it in sight and proceeded at best glide speed of 85 KTS, clean configured. I then opened the poh to the 'in-flight engine failure' checklist. I had completed all the items except switching back to the other fuel tank, which I immediately did. The engine did not immediately start back up, and at this point I realized that I was not going to make it to I23. I alerted day approach and he acknowledged. I was then at approximately 1800 ft MSL, and committed to an open field to my southwest. As I was getting ready to initiate my turn to final approach, the engine fired and began running again normally. I aborted my approach to the field, alerted day approach and landed the aircraft normally at I23. The left fuel tank took 44.2 gals of fuel. The poh says it holds 45 gals, with approximately .5 gal unusable. The right tank took approximately 21 gals. The obvious cause of this incident is that I starved the engine of fuel when I switched to the left tank in cruise. My poor assessment of the fuel situation on preflight and not checking it again in day before departure were leading causes for this incident. In my own defense, the left fuel gauge was very inaccurate. When the engine quit in-flight, the gauge was reading slightly less than half tank, which would have given me approximately 20 gals of fuel. It remained at this indication until refueling at I23, where afterwards returned to a full indication. I was deceived by an inaccurate fuel gauge. After refueling, I departed I23 and returned to uni without further problems. Preflting planning is a life saver and I got lucky. Checklists and memory item procedures are also a life saver.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C210 EXPERIENCED TEMPORARY ENG FAILURE AFTER SWITCHING FUEL CONFIGN TO EMPTY TANK. REGAINED PWR WHEN, FOLLOWING EMER PROC, HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE PREVIOUS TANK WHICH STILL CONTAINED ADEQUATE FUEL TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG AT AN INTERMEDIATE ARPT.

Narrative: I PREFLTED THE ACFT IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT TO DAY APPROX 1 HR FLT TIME. THE ACFT'S FUEL TANKS WERE NOT FULL, BUT THE GAUGES INDICATED BETTER THAN HALF TANKS ON BOTH SIDES. MY ERROR CAME WHEN I STUCK THE TANKS. I WAS FEELING A LITTLE RUSHED AND I DID NOT TAKE CLOSE NOTICE TO THE EXACT AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE STICK. I SIMPLY NOTED THERE WAS FUEL ON THE STICK, AND REMEMBERED WHAT THE GAUGES SHOWED, SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN HALF TANKS. THE FLT TODAY WAS UNEVENTFUL. I DID NOT RE-STICK THE FUEL TANKS IN DAY BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY DETERMINED THAT I HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE RETURN TRIP, AND THE FUEL GAUGES AGREED. I DEPARTED DAY AND WAS BURNING OFF THE R TANK BECAUSE IT HAD A HIGHER FUEL INDICATION, AND I TRY TO KEEP THE TANKS WITHIN ABOUT A QUARTER OF EACH OTHER. I WAS IN CRUISE FLT AT 3500 FT MSL, WHEN I DETERMINED IT WAS TIME TO SWITCH TO THE FULLER L TANK. I SWITCHED TO THE L SIDE AND MONITORED MY FUEL FLOW GAUGE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THE ENG SHUT DOWN. I PUSHED THE MIXTURE RICH AND TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP. NEITHER OF THOSE 2 ACTIONS CORRECTED THE PROB SO I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER WITH DAY APCH CTL. I ALSO SQUAWKED 7700. DAY APCH ADVISED I23 AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS, APPROX 15 MI. I HAD IT IN SIGHT AND PROCEEDED AT BEST GLIDE SPD OF 85 KTS, CLEAN CONFIGURED. I THEN OPENED THE POH TO THE 'INFLT ENG FAILURE' CHKLIST. I HAD COMPLETED ALL THE ITEMS EXCEPT SWITCHING BACK TO THE OTHER FUEL TANK, WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DID. THE ENG DID NOT IMMEDIATELY START BACK UP, AND AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO I23. I ALERTED DAY APCH AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. I WAS THEN AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL, AND COMMITTED TO AN OPEN FIELD TO MY SW. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO INITIATE MY TURN TO FINAL APCH, THE ENG FIRED AND BEGAN RUNNING AGAIN NORMALLY. I ABORTED MY APCH TO THE FIELD, ALERTED DAY APCH AND LANDED THE ACFT NORMALLY AT I23. THE L FUEL TANK TOOK 44.2 GALS OF FUEL. THE POH SAYS IT HOLDS 45 GALS, WITH APPROX .5 GAL UNUSABLE. THE R TANK TOOK APPROX 21 GALS. THE OBVIOUS CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IS THAT I STARVED THE ENG OF FUEL WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE L TANK IN CRUISE. MY POOR ASSESSMENT OF THE FUEL SIT ON PREFLT AND NOT CHKING IT AGAIN IN DAY BEFORE DEP WERE LEADING CAUSES FOR THIS INCIDENT. IN MY OWN DEFENSE, THE L FUEL GAUGE WAS VERY INACCURATE. WHEN THE ENG QUIT INFLT, THE GAUGE WAS READING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN HALF TANK, WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME APPROX 20 GALS OF FUEL. IT REMAINED AT THIS INDICATION UNTIL REFUELING AT I23, WHERE AFTERWARDS RETURNED TO A FULL INDICATION. I WAS DECEIVED BY AN INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE. AFTER REFUELING, I DEPARTED I23 AND RETURNED TO UNI WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. PREFLTING PLANNING IS A LIFE SAVER AND I GOT LUCKY. CHKLISTS AND MEMORY ITEM PROCS ARE ALSO A LIFE SAVER.

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.

Attributes
ACN	588725
Time
Date	200307
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : i23.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : day.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 1320 flight time type : 4.3
ASRS Report	588725
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel guages other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Pilot of C210 experienced temporary engine failure after switching fuel confign to empty tank. Regained power when, following emergency procedure, he switched back to the previous tank which still contained adequate fuel to make a safe landing at an intermediate airport.