Narrative:

I flew a total of 13 loads of parachute jumpers in 2 shorts sc-7 skyvan aircraft. After the first 3 loads; I switched from the original aircraft to another shorts sc-7 skyvan; the aircraft that was used for the rest of the day and resulted in the fuel starvation incident that evening. After preflight inspection of the second skyvan; I determined that the main tanks held approximately 200 pounds of fuel in each main tank. I added an additional 140 gallons of jet a (70 gallons per side); bringing the fuel level up to an amount suitable for 5 loads of parachute jumpers. Each load takes approximately .4 to .5 hours. I flew 3 loads of parachutists and shut the airplane down; at which time I pumped an additional 120.1 gallons of jet a (60 gallons per side). Flight planning for para-drops; we plan to use 30-35 gallons of fuel per load. The fuel was pumped into the airplane from the drop zone's main jet a fuel pump; which has a meter on it to determine the number of gallons pumped. When I started the skyvan for the last 3 loads; 1 twilight jump and 2 night jump loads; I believed I had enough fuel on board for 4 loads plus a reserve of 30-40 mins. All paradrop loads were conducted within a 5 NM radius of the airport. I flew the twilight load (.4 hours) and landed to pick up the first night load. At that time; the aircraft fuel gauges indicated approximately 400-450 pounds of fuel in each main tank. I flew the first of 2 night loads uneventfully and landed (.5 hours) to pick up the final night jump load. Upon landing; the aircraft fuel gauges indicated 180-200 pounds of fuel remaining in each main tank. I was convinced that the aircraft held sufficient fuel for the last load plus a reserve. I departed the airport and turned on jump run 14 mins later at an altitude of 12000 ft MSL. While on the first of 4 jump runs; the left engine fuel pressure fluctuated and I activated the fuel xfeed from the starboard tank. About 40 seconds later; the left engine flamed out and quit. I secured the propeller and engine and shut the xfeed off. I informed the jumpers that I had lost an engine and it was time for an emergency exit. I requested that all the jumpers leave the aircraft on one pass as we flew over the drop zone. I informed center of the engine failure and that I was dropping jumpers and returning to the airport. Center asked if I needed assistance and I informed the controller that I was over the airport and had the situation under control. I was instructed to squawk 1200 and cleared to leave center frequency. As the last jumpers were leaving the airplane; the right engine fuel pressure fluctuated and the engine flamed out. I secured the right engine and was able to dead stick the aircraft to a landing on the runway at the airport. There were no injuries to the jumpers and no damage to the aircraft. Upon landing; the main fuel tank gauges indicated that there was approximately 50 pounds of fuel remaining in each main tank; yet both engines had failed due to fuel starvation. At the time that I departed on the last load; I was convinced; from past experience and the amount of fuel I had personally pumped into the aircraft; and calculated that I had ample fuel for the last flight plus a reserve of least 30 mins. I requested that the maintenance department check the aircraft fuel gauges for accuracy and calibrate them; and that the drop zone's main jet a fuel pump meter be checked for accuracy regarding the number of gallons pumped.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SC-7 SKYVAN PLT LOSES BOTH ENGS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. PLT DEAD STICKS ACFT TO A LNDG.

Narrative: I FLEW A TOTAL OF 13 LOADS OF PARACHUTE JUMPERS IN 2 SHORTS SC-7 SKYVAN ACFT. AFTER THE FIRST 3 LOADS; I SWITCHED FROM THE ORIGINAL ACFT TO ANOTHER SHORTS SC-7 SKYVAN; THE ACFT THAT WAS USED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND RESULTED IN THE FUEL STARVATION INCIDENT THAT EVENING. AFTER PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE SECOND SKYVAN; I DETERMINED THAT THE MAIN TANKS HELD APPROX 200 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK. I ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 140 GALLONS OF JET A (70 GALLONS PER SIDE); BRINGING THE FUEL LEVEL UP TO AN AMOUNT SUITABLE FOR 5 LOADS OF PARACHUTE JUMPERS. EACH LOAD TAKES APPROX .4 TO .5 HRS. I FLEW 3 LOADS OF PARACHUTISTS AND SHUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN; AT WHICH TIME I PUMPED AN ADDITIONAL 120.1 GALLONS OF JET A (60 GALLONS PER SIDE). FLT PLANNING FOR PARA-DROPS; WE PLAN TO USE 30-35 GALLONS OF FUEL PER LOAD. THE FUEL WAS PUMPED INTO THE AIRPLANE FROM THE DROP ZONE'S MAIN JET A FUEL PUMP; WHICH HAS A METER ON IT TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF GALLONS PUMPED. WHEN I STARTED THE SKYVAN FOR THE LAST 3 LOADS; 1 TWILIGHT JUMP AND 2 NIGHT JUMP LOADS; I BELIEVED I HAD ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD FOR 4 LOADS PLUS A RESERVE OF 30-40 MINS. ALL PARADROP LOADS WERE CONDUCTED WITHIN A 5 NM RADIUS OF THE ARPT. I FLEW THE TWILIGHT LOAD (.4 HRS) AND LANDED TO PICK UP THE FIRST NIGHT LOAD. AT THAT TIME; THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES INDICATED APPROX 400-450 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK. I FLEW THE FIRST OF 2 NIGHT LOADS UNEVENTFULLY AND LANDED (.5 HRS) TO PICK UP THE FINAL NIGHT JUMP LOAD. UPON LNDG; THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES INDICATED 180-200 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH MAIN TANK. I WAS CONVINCED THAT THE ACFT HELD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE LAST LOAD PLUS A RESERVE. I DEPARTED THE ARPT AND TURNED ON JUMP RUN 14 MINS LATER AT AN ALT OF 12000 FT MSL. WHILE ON THE FIRST OF 4 JUMP RUNS; THE L ENG FUEL PRESSURE FLUCTUATED AND I ACTIVATED THE FUEL XFEED FROM THE STARBOARD TANK. ABOUT 40 SECONDS LATER; THE L ENG FLAMED OUT AND QUIT. I SECURED THE PROP AND ENG AND SHUT THE XFEED OFF. I INFORMED THE JUMPERS THAT I HAD LOST AN ENG AND IT WAS TIME FOR AN EMER EXIT. I REQUESTED THAT ALL THE JUMPERS LEAVE THE ACFT ON ONE PASS AS WE FLEW OVER THE DROP ZONE. I INFORMED CTR OF THE ENG FAILURE AND THAT I WAS DROPPING JUMPERS AND RETURNING TO THE ARPT. CTR ASKED IF I NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS OVER THE ARPT AND HAD THE SITUATION UNDER CTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CLRED TO LEAVE CTR FREQ. AS THE LAST JUMPERS WERE LEAVING THE AIRPLANE; THE R ENG FUEL PRESSURE FLUCTUATED AND THE ENG FLAMED OUT. I SECURED THE R ENG AND WAS ABLE TO DEAD STICK THE ACFT TO A LNDG ON THE RWY AT THE ARPT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE JUMPERS AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. UPON LNDG; THE MAIN FUEL TANK GAUGES INDICATED THAT THERE WAS APPROX 50 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH MAIN TANK; YET BOTH ENGS HAD FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. AT THE TIME THAT I DEPARTED ON THE LAST LOAD; I WAS CONVINCED; FROM PAST EXPERIENCE AND THE AMOUNT OF FUEL I HAD PERSONALLY PUMPED INTO THE ACFT; AND CALCULATED THAT I HAD AMPLE FUEL FOR THE LAST FLT PLUS A RESERVE OF LEAST 30 MINS. I REQUESTED THAT THE MAINT DEPT CHK THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES FOR ACCURACY AND CALIBRATE THEM; AND THAT THE DROP ZONE'S MAIN JET A FUEL PUMP METER BE CHKED FOR ACCURACY REGARDING THE NUMBER OF GALLONS PUMPED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.