Narrative:

Many factors contributed to this occurrence, but the bottom line is that I got lazy and made a bad decision. I was near the end of a trip that included many legs and required a fuel purchase. I knew that my fuel was going to be tight, but I honestly thought I would land with the required reserve. As I was being vectored and descending for the airport, my left engine began to surge and the fuel pressure light illuminated. I was less than 5 mins from landing. I declared an emergency and landed without incident at another airport that was right in front of me. The left engine had quit by the time I landed. Factors that contributed: 1) someone else did the flight planning (fuel calculations) before I left because it was a last min flight. Therefore, I wasn't as familiar with the required fuel as I should have been. 2) I got lazy with my leaning procedures, using previous settings or not leaning at all for a few short legs. 3) I believed the fuel gauges, which indicated I had much more fuel than I actually did. 4) at my last stop, I asked the FBO for some fuel (comfort fuel) but their truck was OTS. So instead of going through the hassle of taxiing to another FBO, I made some quick mental calculations and decided to go with what I had (get thereitis). 5) I had this mentality that, 'I've never run out of fuel before, so why would I run out now?' never again!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS, DECLARED AN EMER, AND LANDED AT AN ARPT JUST AHEAD, WITH #1 ENG FEATHERED.

Narrative: MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I GOT LAZY AND MADE A BAD DECISION. I WAS NEAR THE END OF A TRIP THAT INCLUDED MANY LEGS AND REQUIRED A FUEL PURCHASE. I KNEW THAT MY FUEL WAS GOING TO BE TIGHT, BUT I HONESTLY THOUGHT I WOULD LAND WITH THE REQUIRED RESERVE. AS I WAS BEING VECTORED AND DSNDING FOR THE ARPT, MY L ENG BEGAN TO SURGE AND THE FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I WAS LESS THAN 5 MINS FROM LNDG. I DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT ANOTHER ARPT THAT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. THE L ENG HAD QUIT BY THE TIME I LANDED. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED: 1) SOMEONE ELSE DID THE FLT PLANNING (FUEL CALCULATIONS) BEFORE I LEFT BECAUSE IT WAS A LAST MIN FLT. THEREFORE, I WASN'T AS FAMILIAR WITH THE REQUIRED FUEL AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. 2) I GOT LAZY WITH MY LEANING PROCS, USING PREVIOUS SETTINGS OR NOT LEANING AT ALL FOR A FEW SHORT LEGS. 3) I BELIEVED THE FUEL GAUGES, WHICH INDICATED I HAD MUCH MORE FUEL THAN I ACTUALLY DID. 4) AT MY LAST STOP, I ASKED THE FBO FOR SOME FUEL (COMFORT FUEL) BUT THEIR TRUCK WAS OTS. SO INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THE HASSLE OF TAXIING TO ANOTHER FBO, I MADE SOME QUICK MENTAL CALCULATIONS AND DECIDED TO GO WITH WHAT I HAD (GET THEREITIS). 5) I HAD THIS MENTALITY THAT, 'I'VE NEVER RUN OUT OF FUEL BEFORE, SO WHY WOULD I RUN OUT NOW?' NEVER AGAIN!

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.