Narrative:

Chain of events: aircraft engine stopped upon landing rollout. Engine would not restart. Preflight included visual inspection of fuel and fullest tank (left) was selected for 20 NM flight. Estimated fuel available was 2 hours (1 hour per tank) based on previous flts; fuelings; and fuel gauge readings. After incident; aircraft was refueled and the left tank took 19 gallons out of 26 usable. There should have been 7 gallons remaining or about 40 mins flying time. Possible cause: mooney's situation nose high on the ground and I believe the fuel remaining shifted to the rear of the tank thus un-porting the engine fuel feed lines leading to fuel starvation. I will need to verify this theory. Contributing factor: relying on fuel calculations rather than adding a known quantity of fuel. Fuel gauges are inaccurate. 'Nose high' attitude of mooney aircraft during ground operations. Human performance factors: felt rushed as mechanic who just performed annual was waiting on me to leave. Reluctance to refuel aircraft as this would have required taxi to self serve fueling and a 'hot start' of the aircraft. Mooney's are notorious for difficult hot starts. I felt I had enough fuel to make the short flight. Corrective actions: always know how much fuel (in gallons) is available either through refueling or using the calibrated pipette we made. Don't let external factors influence your decision (hot start problems; and the waiting mechanic). Find out if 'usable' fuel includes taxi operations as well as in-flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20 ENGINE FAILS ON LNDG ROLL OUT. PLT SUSPECTS FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: ACFT ENG STOPPED UPON LNDG ROLLOUT. ENG WOULD NOT RESTART. PREFLT INCLUDED VISUAL INSPECTION OF FUEL AND FULLEST TANK (L) WAS SELECTED FOR 20 NM FLT. ESTIMATED FUEL AVAILABLE WAS 2 HRS (1 HR PER TANK) BASED ON PREVIOUS FLTS; FUELINGS; AND FUEL GAUGE READINGS. AFTER INCIDENT; ACFT WAS REFUELED AND THE L TANK TOOK 19 GALLONS OUT OF 26 USABLE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 7 GALLONS REMAINING OR ABOUT 40 MINS FLYING TIME. POSSIBLE CAUSE: MOONEY'S SIT NOSE HIGH ON THE GND AND I BELIEVE THE FUEL REMAINING SHIFTED TO THE REAR OF THE TANK THUS UN-PORTING THE ENG FUEL FEED LINES LEADING TO FUEL STARVATION. I WILL NEED TO VERIFY THIS THEORY. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: RELYING ON FUEL CALCULATIONS RATHER THAN ADDING A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL. FUEL GAUGES ARE INACCURATE. 'NOSE HIGH' ATTITUDE OF MOONEY ACFT DURING GND OPS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS: FELT RUSHED AS MECH WHO JUST PERFORMED ANNUAL WAS WAITING ON ME TO LEAVE. RELUCTANCE TO REFUEL ACFT AS THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED TAXI TO SELF SERVE FUELING AND A 'HOT START' OF THE ACFT. MOONEY'S ARE NOTORIOUS FOR DIFFICULT HOT STARTS. I FELT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE THE SHORT FLT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: ALWAYS KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL (IN GALLONS) IS AVAILABLE EITHER THROUGH REFUELING OR USING THE CALIBRATED PIPETTE WE MADE. DON'T LET EXTERNAL FACTORS INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION (HOT START PROBS; AND THE WAITING MECH). FIND OUT IF 'USABLE' FUEL INCLUDES TAXI OPS AS WELL AS INFLT.

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.