Narrative:

I made a very poor decision and effectively ran my PA30 out of fuel while on a cross country flight from ZZZ2 to ZZZ1. I took off from my home field with approximately 60 gals of fuel. I planned to add fuel at ZZZ2. After completing my business in ZZZ2 I was in a hurry to return to ZZZ1. I had get-homeitis. I looked at my fuel in my main tanks and felt that it should be enough to take me to ZZZ1 with no problem. It had taken 1.8 hours to fly to ZZZ2 and I was burning about 17 gph. By my calculations I should have had about 30 gals left. Visually, that looked about right. My left strut was low and I planned to service it at ZZZ1. Takeoff and climb were normal enough and I caught myself thinking about how nice a day it was to fly. I also let my mind wander to my business from earlier in the day. I planned to burn my outboard tanks until the first one showed low pressure and then switch back to the mains for the descent and landing. As I planned my descent into my destination, my right outboard tank emptied. I turned on the boost pump and put both fuel selectors to the main position. The mains were showing about 1/4 of a full tank. I was about 50 NM from my destination. As I approached 30 NM, the right engine began to surge and I selected xfeed. This was a surprise to me and as I was within 5 NM of a nice airport with fuel, I decided to land short at ZZZ. The mains still showed just under 1/4 tank. I set up for a straight approach to the north runway and made a radio call on the wrong frequency. The surging on the right engine did not stop so I decided to feather the propeller and land single engine. I was on a 1 mi final when the left engine began to surge. I felt like the airport was made but, as I didn't know what the effect of a flat propeller would be, I decided to feather the remaining engine. I landed at the 1000 ft mark and rolled to a stop and off at an intersection. I felt sick to my stomach as I inspected both main tanks and could see the bottom of each. How could I, an 18000 hour pilot and instructor, have let this happen? I had been so focused on getting back to houston that I pressed the envelope. To make matters even worse, I had approximately 5 usable gals of fuel in the left outboard tank. After being towed to the fuel pump and fueled, I determined that I had approximately 8 usable gals of fuel remaining between the 4 tanks. I made so many mistakes on this flight that it is difficult for me to address it. I should have filled the tanks at ZZZ2. I should have believed my eyes and not my calculations. I should have had my mind more in the game. I can say with confidence that I have learned a great deal from this experience and do not plan to make a mistake like this ever again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA30 LANDS WITH BOTH ENGS OUT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AT KUTS.

Narrative: I MADE A VERY POOR DECISION AND EFFECTIVELY RAN MY PA30 OUT OF FUEL WHILE ON A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM ZZZ2 TO ZZZ1. I TOOK OFF FROM MY HOME FIELD WITH APPROX 60 GALS OF FUEL. I PLANNED TO ADD FUEL AT ZZZ2. AFTER COMPLETING MY BUSINESS IN ZZZ2 I WAS IN A HURRY TO RETURN TO ZZZ1. I HAD GET-HOMEITIS. I LOOKED AT MY FUEL IN MY MAIN TANKS AND FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO TAKE ME TO ZZZ1 WITH NO PROB. IT HAD TAKEN 1.8 HRS TO FLY TO ZZZ2 AND I WAS BURNING ABOUT 17 GPH. BY MY CALCULATIONS I SHOULD HAVE HAD ABOUT 30 GALS LEFT. VISUALLY, THAT LOOKED ABOUT RIGHT. MY L STRUT WAS LOW AND I PLANNED TO SVC IT AT ZZZ1. TKOF AND CLB WERE NORMAL ENOUGH AND I CAUGHT MYSELF THINKING ABOUT HOW NICE A DAY IT WAS TO FLY. I ALSO LET MY MIND WANDER TO MY BUSINESS FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY. I PLANNED TO BURN MY OUTBOARD TANKS UNTIL THE FIRST ONE SHOWED LOW PRESSURE AND THEN SWITCH BACK TO THE MAINS FOR THE DSCNT AND LNDG. AS I PLANNED MY DSCNT INTO MY DEST, MY R OUTBOARD TANK EMPTIED. I TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP AND PUT BOTH FUEL SELECTORS TO THE MAIN POS. THE MAINS WERE SHOWING ABOUT 1/4 OF A FULL TANK. I WAS ABOUT 50 NM FROM MY DEST. AS I APCHED 30 NM, THE R ENG BEGAN TO SURGE AND I SELECTED XFEED. THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME AND AS I WAS WITHIN 5 NM OF A NICE ARPT WITH FUEL, I DECIDED TO LAND SHORT AT ZZZ. THE MAINS STILL SHOWED JUST UNDER 1/4 TANK. I SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT APCH TO THE N RWY AND MADE A RADIO CALL ON THE WRONG FREQ. THE SURGING ON THE R ENG DID NOT STOP SO I DECIDED TO FEATHER THE PROP AND LAND SINGLE ENG. I WAS ON A 1 MI FINAL WHEN THE L ENG BEGAN TO SURGE. I FELT LIKE THE ARPT WAS MADE BUT, AS I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE EFFECT OF A FLAT PROP WOULD BE, I DECIDED TO FEATHER THE REMAINING ENG. I LANDED AT THE 1000 FT MARK AND ROLLED TO A STOP AND OFF AT AN INTXN. I FELT SICK TO MY STOMACH AS I INSPECTED BOTH MAIN TANKS AND COULD SEE THE BOTTOM OF EACH. HOW COULD I, AN 18000 HR PLT AND INSTRUCTOR, HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN? I HAD BEEN SO FOCUSED ON GETTING BACK TO HOUSTON THAT I PRESSED THE ENVELOPE. TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN WORSE, I HAD APPROX 5 USABLE GALS OF FUEL IN THE L OUTBOARD TANK. AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE FUEL PUMP AND FUELED, I DETERMINED THAT I HAD APPROX 8 USABLE GALS OF FUEL REMAINING BTWN THE 4 TANKS. I MADE SO MANY MISTAKES ON THIS FLT THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ADDRESS IT. I SHOULD HAVE FILLED THE TANKS AT ZZZ2. I SHOULD HAVE BELIEVED MY EYES AND NOT MY CALCULATIONS. I SHOULD HAVE HAD MY MIND MORE IN THE GAME. I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND DO NOT PLAN TO MAKE A MISTAKE LIKE THIS EVER 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.