Narrative:

My student and I proposed a night cross country to begin at ZZZ1 and return to ZZZ1 via ZZZ. The flight was a routine training flight to meet night requirements for private pilot certification. The student completed the preflight and ordered fuel. I went to oversee the operation; noting the fuel truck in operation fueling the other aircraft in the fleet. Assuming all was well; I went inside to complete the day's paperwork and awaited departure. It took the student longer than expected to get fuel and finish flight planning. I returned to the plane and asked if he was ready to go; and he replied that he was. In my haste; I took him on good faith to the question; 'how much fuel?' he replied; 'full tanks' and we departed. I had no reason to suspect otherwise; I failed to ensure proper fueling personally. I'm sure the outcome of this action is already clear. We departed ZZZ1 at approximately XA10; sbound to ZZZ. All checks were completed; including the en route check which is designed to catch anomalies such as low fuel. The student did not. The gauges are to the left of the pilot's leg and difficult to see from the copilot seat; particularly in low light conditions. I took his word that he had checked the gauge. Arrival was uneventful at ZZZ. Departing ZZZ after a touch-and-go; we climbed back to 5500 ft MSL and contacted ZFW for additional flight following. After leveloff; the student completed the en route check except this time he noted the fuel gauges read empty. I confirmed; assumed control of the aircraft; and proceeded direct to the nearest airport; ZZZ3; near ZZZ. I assumed a failure of the fuel gauges; as no pilot would depart single engine at night with no fuel. I informed center of the need for a precautionary landing to check fuel. He supplied airport information; a vector direct to ZZZ3; and a frequency change to operate airport lighting. The landing at ZZZ3 was uneventful with taxi to ramp. On inspection; the fuel tanks were both empty. The student and I secured the aircraft; contacted the chief flight instructor and waited for instructions. The local police were called by center to see if we were ok; and arrived shortly after tie-down. We assured the officers the situation was under control. The following morning the school sent a mechanic to inspect the aircraft for leaks (there were none) and gauges; as well as fuel to fly the aircraft to the nearest airport for top-off. The student pilot's failure to ensure full tanks; was only overshadowed by the flight instructor's failure to ensure full tanks. The perception of the fuel trucks at work; implied there was fuel when in fact they had simply skipped our aircraft for whatever reason. The inaction of the PIC resulted in failure to be aware of all available information including fuel quantities and reserves as outlined by far 91.103. However unintentional the event; the flight was not able to be completed safely. I have no desire to die; but that would have been the situation had the student not read the fuel gauge correctly. Pure dumb luck put us over ZZZ3 as the student had drifted off course several mi. I estimate no more than a few mins of fuel remaining at the time of engine shutdown. I couldn't be more disgusted with myself; and am very upset that I allowed such a discrepancy as I go to great lengths to be very thorough and safe in all operations. The factors in play here include: complacency; time delay; night operations; and luck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLTS OF C152 ON A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY LAND AT NEAREST ARPT WHEN THEY DISCOVER THEIR FUEL TANKS NEARLY EMPTY.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I PROPOSED A NIGHT XCOUNTRY TO BEGIN AT ZZZ1 AND RETURN TO ZZZ1 VIA ZZZ. THE FLT WAS A ROUTINE TRAINING FLT TO MEET NIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR PVT PLT CERTIFICATION. THE STUDENT COMPLETED THE PREFLT AND ORDERED FUEL. I WENT TO OVERSEE THE OP; NOTING THE FUEL TRUCK IN OP FUELING THE OTHER ACFT IN THE FLEET. ASSUMING ALL WAS WELL; I WENT INSIDE TO COMPLETE THE DAY'S PAPERWORK AND AWAITED DEP. IT TOOK THE STUDENT LONGER THAN EXPECTED TO GET FUEL AND FINISH FLT PLANNING. I RETURNED TO THE PLANE AND ASKED IF HE WAS READY TO GO; AND HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS. IN MY HASTE; I TOOK HIM ON GOOD FAITH TO THE QUESTION; 'HOW MUCH FUEL?' HE REPLIED; 'FULL TANKS' AND WE DEPARTED. I HAD NO REASON TO SUSPECT OTHERWISE; I FAILED TO ENSURE PROPER FUELING PERSONALLY. I'M SURE THE OUTCOME OF THIS ACTION IS ALREADY CLR. WE DEPARTED ZZZ1 AT APPROX XA10; SBOUND TO ZZZ. ALL CHKS WERE COMPLETED; INCLUDING THE ENRTE CHK WHICH IS DESIGNED TO CATCH ANOMALIES SUCH AS LOW FUEL. THE STUDENT DID NOT. THE GAUGES ARE TO THE L OF THE PLT'S LEG AND DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE COPLT SEAT; PARTICULARLY IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. I TOOK HIS WORD THAT HE HAD CHKED THE GAUGE. ARR WAS UNEVENTFUL AT ZZZ. DEPARTING ZZZ AFTER A TOUCH-AND-GO; WE CLBED BACK TO 5500 FT MSL AND CONTACTED ZFW FOR ADDITIONAL FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER LEVELOFF; THE STUDENT COMPLETED THE ENRTE CHK EXCEPT THIS TIME HE NOTED THE FUEL GAUGES READ EMPTY. I CONFIRMED; ASSUMED CTL OF THE ACFT; AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO THE NEAREST ARPT; ZZZ3; NEAR ZZZ. I ASSUMED A FAILURE OF THE FUEL GAUGES; AS NO PLT WOULD DEPART SINGLE ENG AT NIGHT WITH NO FUEL. I INFORMED CTR OF THE NEED FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG TO CHK FUEL. HE SUPPLIED ARPT INFO; A VECTOR DIRECT TO ZZZ3; AND A FREQ CHANGE TO OPERATE ARPT LIGHTING. THE LNDG AT ZZZ3 WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH TAXI TO RAMP. ON INSPECTION; THE FUEL TANKS WERE BOTH EMPTY. THE STUDENT AND I SECURED THE ACFT; CONTACTED THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR AND WAITED FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THE LCL POLICE WERE CALLED BY CTR TO SEE IF WE WERE OK; AND ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER TIE-DOWN. WE ASSURED THE OFFICERS THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CTL. THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE SCHOOL SENT A MECH TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR LEAKS (THERE WERE NONE) AND GAUGES; AS WELL AS FUEL TO FLY THE ACFT TO THE NEAREST ARPT FOR TOP-OFF. THE STUDENT PLT'S FAILURE TO ENSURE FULL TANKS; WAS ONLY OVERSHADOWED BY THE FLT INSTRUCTOR'S FAILURE TO ENSURE FULL TANKS. THE PERCEPTION OF THE FUEL TRUCKS AT WORK; IMPLIED THERE WAS FUEL WHEN IN FACT THEY HAD SIMPLY SKIPPED OUR ACFT FOR WHATEVER REASON. THE INACTION OF THE PIC RESULTED IN FAILURE TO BE AWARE OF ALL AVAILABLE INFO INCLUDING FUEL QUANTITIES AND RESERVES AS OUTLINED BY FAR 91.103. HOWEVER UNINTENTIONAL THE EVENT; THE FLT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE COMPLETED SAFELY. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO DIE; BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SITUATION HAD THE STUDENT NOT READ THE FUEL GAUGE CORRECTLY. PURE DUMB LUCK PUT US OVER ZZZ3 AS THE STUDENT HAD DRIFTED OFF COURSE SEVERAL MI. I ESTIMATE NO MORE THAN A FEW MINS OF FUEL REMAINING AT THE TIME OF ENG SHUTDOWN. I COULDN'T BE MORE DISGUSTED WITH MYSELF; AND AM VERY UPSET THAT I ALLOWED SUCH A DISCREPANCY AS I GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO BE VERY THOROUGH AND SAFE IN ALL OPS. THE FACTORS IN PLAY HERE INCLUDE: COMPLACENCY; TIME DELAY; NIGHT OPS; AND LUCK.

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.