Failure to monitor fuel management results in left engine failure for C414 pilot. Subsequent evaluat...

Attributes
ACN	784327
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Chancellor 414A & C414
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise : level ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	784327
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During cruise; I experienced loss of power on left engine. Secured left engine and declared emergency and landing at nearest airport. Was overhead of ZZZ airport; ATC took emergency information and xferred me to ZZZ approach. Completed engine failure in-flight emergency checklist; which called for attempted restart using auxiliary fuel pumps on high. Successful restart; but engine did not develop consistent power; so I secured the engine again using checklist. Made successful single engine approach and landing at ZZZ with fire/EMS standing by. Maintenance arrived and we decided to taxi aircraft to their facility for a look. I decided to attempt to start the left engine and taxi using the auxiliary fuel pump. When I reached to turn the fuel back on; it finally dawned on me -- I ran the auxiliary tank dry while approximately 40 gallons remained in the main tank. Somewhere during the emergency; I switched the right tank to main; which prevented the right side from fuel exhaustion as well. About 15 mins prior to the event; I had considered the fuel situation and wanted to use a little more fuel from the auxiliary tanks first before switching; approximately 10 gallons remained in the tank at that time. Somehow in the next 15 mins I completely forgot about switching tanks; which should have been my initial reaction to the power loss. Luckily; an emergency landing and a big humiliation are all that resulted from a loss of situational awareness. Contributing factors: hadn't flown a long flight that required the use of auxiliary tanks in a few months. Loss of situational awareness regarding fuel status. Forgot plting 101: if an engine loses power; it almost always is fuel starved. Forgot fuel is being pumped from the auxiliary tank almost twice as fast as the engine consumes it. The return goes to the main tanks. Corrective action: I now set a countdown timer when switching to auxiliary tanks as a reminder to switch. If power is lost in cruise flight; first switch tanks; then try auxiliary pumps on high before securing engine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE TO MONITOR FUEL MGMNT RESULTS IN L ENG FAILURE FOR C414 PLT. SUBSEQUENT EVALUATION SHOWS ENG WAS FEEDING FROM AUX TANK WHOSE QUANTITY WAS EXHAUSTED.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE; I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF PWR ON L ENG. SECURED L ENG AND DECLARED EMER AND LNDG AT NEAREST ARPT. WAS OVERHEAD OF ZZZ ARPT; ATC TOOK EMER INFO AND XFERRED ME TO ZZZ APCH. COMPLETED ENG FAILURE INFLT EMER CHKLIST; WHICH CALLED FOR ATTEMPTED RESTART USING AUX FUEL PUMPS ON HIGH. SUCCESSFUL RESTART; BUT ENG DID NOT DEVELOP CONSISTENT PWR; SO I SECURED THE ENG AGAIN USING CHKLIST. MADE SUCCESSFUL SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG AT ZZZ WITH FIRE/EMS STANDING BY. MAINT ARRIVED AND WE DECIDED TO TAXI ACFT TO THEIR FACILITY FOR A LOOK. I DECIDED TO ATTEMPT TO START THE L ENG AND TAXI USING THE AUX FUEL PUMP. WHEN I REACHED TO TURN THE FUEL BACK ON; IT FINALLY DAWNED ON ME -- I RAN THE AUX TANK DRY WHILE APPROX 40 GALLONS REMAINED IN THE MAIN TANK. SOMEWHERE DURING THE EMER; I SWITCHED THE R TANK TO MAIN; WHICH PREVENTED THE R SIDE FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION AS WELL. ABOUT 15 MINS PRIOR TO THE EVENT; I HAD CONSIDERED THE FUEL SITUATION AND WANTED TO USE A LITTLE MORE FUEL FROM THE AUX TANKS FIRST BEFORE SWITCHING; APPROX 10 GALLONS REMAINED IN THE TANK AT THAT TIME. SOMEHOW IN THE NEXT 15 MINS I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT SWITCHING TANKS; WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY INITIAL REACTION TO THE PWR LOSS. LUCKILY; AN EMER LNDG AND A BIG HUMILIATION ARE ALL THAT RESULTED FROM A LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HADN'T FLOWN A LONG FLT THAT REQUIRED THE USE OF AUX TANKS IN A FEW MONTHS. LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS REGARDING FUEL STATUS. FORGOT PLTING 101: IF AN ENG LOSES PWR; IT ALMOST ALWAYS IS FUEL STARVED. FORGOT FUEL IS BEING PUMPED FROM THE AUX TANK ALMOST TWICE AS FAST AS THE ENG CONSUMES IT. THE RETURN GOES TO THE MAIN TANKS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: I NOW SET A COUNTDOWN TIMER WHEN SWITCHING TO AUX TANKS AS A REMINDER TO SWITCH. IF PWR IS LOST IN CRUISE FLT; FIRST SWITCH TANKS; THEN TRY AUX PUMPS ON HIGH BEFORE SECURING ENG.

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.

Failure to monitor fuel management results in left engine failure for C414 pilot. Subsequent evaluation shows engine was feeding from auxiliary tank whose quantity was exhausted.