Narrative:

My CFI and I departed ZZZ for a 1 hour training flight in a hughes 300. The preflight included a visual check of the fuel tanks as well as the fuel gauge. The gauge read 20 gallons. This training facility does not use any type of measuring device for the fuel tanks other than visual. Conservative fuel burn is 15/gph to comply with far minimum for day VFR helicopter of 20 mins; 5 gallons of fuel was needed. We meet this requirement and departed to the north. Approximately 35-40 mins into the flight; I saw that the fuel gauge read 10 gallons. We stayed in the pattern for 2 more automatic-rotations and then departed to the west. The fuel gauge read 8 gallons. I called ZZZ 8 NM out; the timer read 50 mins. My instructor pointed to the fuel low light which had come 'on.' he took the controls and I confirmed a positive exchange. He started a descent for an off-site landing on the beach. Tower returned our call clearing us for landing at our base. My CFI responded that we were making an emergency landing on the beach. Tower stayed on frequency with us and once we were safely on the ground the instructor replied. We called our base and told them what had happened and they brought us 10 gallons of fuel. No one was hurt and the helicopter was not damaged. The fuel gauge read 19 gallons after we put the 10 gallons in. The emergency procedure listed in the hughes 300 poh for the fuel low light is to land immediately. The light is supposed to come on when there is 1 gallon of fuel remaining; less than 5 mins of flight. We followed the procedures. I have not been told if the malfunction was with the fuel low warning light or if inaccurate fuel gauges. If the problem is with the gauge; I could have done more to prevent this situation. I could have requested a measuring device for the fuel tanks or bought one myself. I will do this in the future; regardless. This would have assured that the gauge was accurate. If the fuel low warning light was the problem; there is no way we could have done anything other than land immediately. Even if we departed with full fuel; if the light came on we would have had to land immediately. A fuel cap could have come off; a break in the fuel line; etc; could have caused us to lose fuel. Not landing with this warning especially when we had a safe alternate landing spot available would have been foolish. I stand by my CFI.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HUGHES 300 STUDENT WITH INSTRUCTOR REPORT OFF FIELD LANDING AFTER LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES.

Narrative: MY CFI AND I DEPARTED ZZZ FOR A 1 HR TRAINING FLT IN A HUGHES 300. THE PREFLT INCLUDED A VISUAL CHK OF THE FUEL TANKS AS WELL AS THE FUEL GAUGE. THE GAUGE READ 20 GALLONS. THIS TRAINING FACILITY DOES NOT USE ANY TYPE OF MEASURING DEVICE FOR THE FUEL TANKS OTHER THAN VISUAL. CONSERVATIVE FUEL BURN IS 15/GPH TO COMPLY WITH FAR MINIMUM FOR DAY VFR HELI OF 20 MINS; 5 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS NEEDED. WE MEET THIS REQUIREMENT AND DEPARTED TO THE N. APPROX 35-40 MINS INTO THE FLT; I SAW THAT THE FUEL GAUGE READ 10 GALLONS. WE STAYED IN THE PATTERN FOR 2 MORE AUTO-ROTATIONS AND THEN DEPARTED TO THE W. THE FUEL GAUGE READ 8 GALLONS. I CALLED ZZZ 8 NM OUT; THE TIMER READ 50 MINS. MY INSTRUCTOR POINTED TO THE FUEL LOW LIGHT WHICH HAD COME 'ON.' HE TOOK THE CTLS AND I CONFIRMED A POSITIVE EXCHANGE. HE STARTED A DSCNT FOR AN OFF-SITE LNDG ON THE BEACH. TWR RETURNED OUR CALL CLRING US FOR LNDG AT OUR BASE. MY CFI RESPONDED THAT WE WERE MAKING AN EMER LNDG ON THE BEACH. TWR STAYED ON FREQ WITH US AND ONCE WE WERE SAFELY ON THE GND THE INSTRUCTOR REPLIED. WE CALLED OUR BASE AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THEY BROUGHT US 10 GALLONS OF FUEL. NO ONE WAS HURT AND THE HELI WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE FUEL GAUGE READ 19 GALLONS AFTER WE PUT THE 10 GALLONS IN. THE EMER PROC LISTED IN THE HUGHES 300 POH FOR THE FUEL LOW LIGHT IS TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. THE LIGHT IS SUPPOSED TO COME ON WHEN THERE IS 1 GALLON OF FUEL REMAINING; LESS THAN 5 MINS OF FLT. WE FOLLOWED THE PROCS. I HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD IF THE MALFUNCTION WAS WITH THE FUEL LOW WARNING LIGHT OR IF INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES. IF THE PROB IS WITH THE GAUGE; I COULD HAVE DONE MORE TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION. I COULD HAVE REQUESTED A MEASURING DEVICE FOR THE FUEL TANKS OR BOUGHT ONE MYSELF. I WILL DO THIS IN THE FUTURE; REGARDLESS. THIS WOULD HAVE ASSURED THAT THE GAUGE WAS ACCURATE. IF THE FUEL LOW WARNING LIGHT WAS THE PROB; THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING OTHER THAN LAND IMMEDIATELY. EVEN IF WE DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL; IF THE LIGHT CAME ON WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. A FUEL CAP COULD HAVE COME OFF; A BREAK IN THE FUEL LINE; ETC; COULD HAVE CAUSED US TO LOSE FUEL. NOT LNDG WITH THIS WARNING ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAD A SAFE ALTERNATE LNDG SPOT AVAILABLE WOULD HAVE BEEN FOOLISH. I STAND BY MY CFI.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.