Narrative:

I performed a thorough preflight on the aircraft and had extra time to do so as the friend I was flying with (an experienced mei -- not current) was a little late arriving. When checking the fuel level; it was hard to see the fuel but it appeared full. There was no tool with the aircraft with which to check the fuel level. I inserted my fuel tester into the tank to see if there was fuel and felt liquid resistance at the top. This convinced me that both tanks were full and I completed my preflight. I followed my written checklist for the aircraft (self-developed over several yrs flying this type of aircraft). Unfortunately; checking the fuel gauges is not on the checklist (it will be now); and I don't remember ever checking the fuel gauges. We took off and were flying practice approachs. My friend flew the first approach and I was being vectored for the second approach. About 1 hour into the flight; the left engine began running rough and the plane yawed left. I maintained directional control with rudder and idented the problem engine. We tried carburetor heat; fuel pump; and mixture. We also requested a direct to the airport approach. About 3 mi from the airport; I finally looked at the gauges and realized that fuel was the issue. Even then; it did not fully sink in because I was completely in a 'we have full fuel' mind set. We landed uneventfully and taxied to parking. We ran the right engine for 10-15 mins on the ground before shutting down. After getting the refueling numbers; it turned out the left tank was empty and we probably had about 30 mins of fuel in the right tank on landing. Had the conditions of flight been different (hard IFR; farther from airports); this could have resulted in a very serious situation. As someone who considers himself a very careful and knowledgeable pilot; I never thought I would make this type of error. It was a real embarrassment and wake-up call; let alone the risk to which I exposed myself and my passenger. Lessons learned: 1) checking the fuel with ad hoc methods is as bad as not checking it at all. 2) having all 'killer' items on the written checklist is a must. 3) rental aircraft should have some reliable method of checking the fuel level available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA44 PLT RPTS AN ENG QUIT FROM FUEL STARVATION BECAUSE HE FAILED TO PROPERLY CHK THE WING TANK FUEL AND ACFT FUEL GAUGES DURING PREFLT.

Narrative: I PERFORMED A THOROUGH PREFLT ON THE ACFT AND HAD EXTRA TIME TO DO SO AS THE FRIEND I WAS FLYING WITH (AN EXPERIENCED MEI -- NOT CURRENT) WAS A LITTLE LATE ARRIVING. WHEN CHKING THE FUEL LEVEL; IT WAS HARD TO SEE THE FUEL BUT IT APPEARED FULL. THERE WAS NO TOOL WITH THE ACFT WITH WHICH TO CHK THE FUEL LEVEL. I INSERTED MY FUEL TESTER INTO THE TANK TO SEE IF THERE WAS FUEL AND FELT LIQUID RESISTANCE AT THE TOP. THIS CONVINCED ME THAT BOTH TANKS WERE FULL AND I COMPLETED MY PREFLT. I FOLLOWED MY WRITTEN CHKLIST FOR THE ACFT (SELF-DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL YRS FLYING THIS TYPE OF ACFT). UNFORTUNATELY; CHKING THE FUEL GAUGES IS NOT ON THE CHKLIST (IT WILL BE NOW); AND I DON'T REMEMBER EVER CHKING THE FUEL GAUGES. WE TOOK OFF AND WERE FLYING PRACTICE APCHS. MY FRIEND FLEW THE FIRST APCH AND I WAS BEING VECTORED FOR THE SECOND APCH. ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE FLT; THE L ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND THE PLANE YAWED L. I MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL WITH RUDDER AND IDENTED THE PROB ENG. WE TRIED CARB HEAT; FUEL PUMP; AND MIXTURE. WE ALSO REQUESTED A DIRECT TO THE ARPT APCH. ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE ARPT; I FINALLY LOOKED AT THE GAUGES AND REALIZED THAT FUEL WAS THE ISSUE. EVEN THEN; IT DID NOT FULLY SINK IN BECAUSE I WAS COMPLETELY IN A 'WE HAVE FULL FUEL' MIND SET. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO PARKING. WE RAN THE R ENG FOR 10-15 MINS ON THE GND BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN. AFTER GETTING THE REFUELING NUMBERS; IT TURNED OUT THE L TANK WAS EMPTY AND WE PROBABLY HAD ABOUT 30 MINS OF FUEL IN THE R TANK ON LNDG. HAD THE CONDITIONS OF FLT BEEN DIFFERENT (HARD IFR; FARTHER FROM ARPTS); THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. AS SOMEONE WHO CONSIDERS HIMSELF A VERY CAREFUL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE PLT; I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE THIS TYPE OF ERROR. IT WAS A REAL EMBARRASSMENT AND WAKE-UP CALL; LET ALONE THE RISK TO WHICH I EXPOSED MYSELF AND MY PAX. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) CHKING THE FUEL WITH AD HOC METHODS IS AS BAD AS NOT CHKING IT AT ALL. 2) HAVING ALL 'KILLER' ITEMS ON THE WRITTEN CHKLIST IS A MUST. 3) RENTAL ACFT SHOULD HAVE SOME RELIABLE METHOD OF CHKING THE FUEL LEVEL AVAILABLE.

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.