Narrative:

I left jnu that morning to pick up some passenger in angoon, ak. After picking up 6 passenger, I climbed up to 3000 ft and flew them to hoonah, ak. They disembarked the plane and I restarted the engine. While I was on the ramp I had to wait for a couple of other planes who had called on the radio to land. This was at least 5 mins of sitting on the ramp idling, before I even started taxiing for takeoff. When I took off from hoonah, I climbed up to 3500 ft for the trip back to angoon. When I arrived in angoon, I landed and taxied around in the water, waiting for other planes to leave the dock who were picking up passenger, and who were already at the seaplane dock. This process took 5-10 mins of taxiing and waiting on the water before I was able to come in to the dock. By this time I was wondering if I would have enough gas to take the passenger to hoonah, come back to jnu, and still have my 30 mins reserve. When I boarded my next 6 passenger, I informed them that we would not be going to hoonah at this time, but back to jnu to take on some extra fuel. As I was coming into jnu, with the 6 passenger, I decided to call the company and tell them I was going to land in auke bay and to bring me 10 gals of gas to ensure my 30 min reserve on landing. About the time I was at outer point, I got a low level light on my center tank, switched to my front tank which was the fullest tank. I called the tower and got permission to enter the control zone and told the tower I would be in auke bay for awhile and I would call them later. I landed in auke bay, taxied close to the highway, shut off my engine and drifted until the company van pulled up about 25 mins later. I was a short distance from the rocks by the side of the road, so I paddled over and tied up to a rock. I put the 10 gals in the plane, and landed at jnu to fuel. The plane took 12 gals of fuel in the front tank, which meant I had 57 mins of reserve. I took the passenger to hoonah, ak, and returned to jnu. The school superintendent called my office and complained about having to land for gas in auke bay, and though I was out of fuel. At no time during operation of this flight was there less than 1/2 hour of fuel in the front tank of the aircraft. I made a precautionary landing at a location to which additional fuel could be supplied by a company veh. After receiving additional fuel, thereby avoiding violation of far 135.209, I proceeded to jnu to refuel. The next day the superintendent called the jnu FSDO and complained. They in turn sent me a letter of investigation and asked me to respond in writing within 10 days. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: on attempting a call back, was informed that reporter had passed away. We are unable to answer some questions re: event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRECAUTIONARY LNDG TO ASSURE FUEL RESERVE.

Narrative: I LEFT JNU THAT MORNING TO PICK UP SOME PAX IN ANGOON, AK. AFTER PICKING UP 6 PAX, I CLBED UP TO 3000 FT AND FLEW THEM TO HOONAH, AK. THEY DISEMBARKED THE PLANE AND I RESTARTED THE ENG. WHILE I WAS ON THE RAMP I HAD TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE OF OTHER PLANES WHO HAD CALLED ON THE RADIO TO LAND. THIS WAS AT LEAST 5 MINS OF SITTING ON THE RAMP IDLING, BEFORE I EVEN STARTED TAXIING FOR TKOF. WHEN I TOOK OFF FROM HOONAH, I CLBED UP TO 3500 FT FOR THE TRIP BACK TO ANGOON. WHEN I ARRIVED IN ANGOON, I LANDED AND TAXIED AROUND IN THE WATER, WAITING FOR OTHER PLANES TO LEAVE THE DOCK WHO WERE PICKING UP PAX, AND WHO WERE ALREADY AT THE SEAPLANE DOCK. THIS PROCESS TOOK 5-10 MINS OF TAXIING AND WAITING ON THE WATER BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO COME IN TO THE DOCK. BY THIS TIME I WAS WONDERING IF I WOULD HAVE ENOUGH GAS TO TAKE THE PAX TO HOONAH, COME BACK TO JNU, AND STILL HAVE MY 30 MINS RESERVE. WHEN I BOARDED MY NEXT 6 PAX, I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD NOT BE GOING TO HOONAH AT THIS TIME, BUT BACK TO JNU TO TAKE ON SOME EXTRA FUEL. AS I WAS COMING INTO JNU, WITH THE 6 PAX, I DECIDED TO CALL THE COMPANY AND TELL THEM I WAS GOING TO LAND IN AUKE BAY AND TO BRING ME 10 GALS OF GAS TO ENSURE MY 30 MIN RESERVE ON LNDG. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS AT OUTER POINT, I GOT A LOW LEVEL LIGHT ON MY CENTER TANK, SWITCHED TO MY FRONT TANK WHICH WAS THE FULLEST TANK. I CALLED THE TWR AND GOT PERMISSION TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE AND TOLD THE TWR I WOULD BE IN AUKE BAY FOR AWHILE AND I WOULD CALL THEM LATER. I LANDED IN AUKE BAY, TAXIED CLOSE TO THE HWY, SHUT OFF MY ENG AND DRIFTED UNTIL THE COMPANY VAN PULLED UP ABOUT 25 MINS LATER. I WAS A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE ROCKS BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SO I PADDLED OVER AND TIED UP TO A ROCK. I PUT THE 10 GALS IN THE PLANE, AND LANDED AT JNU TO FUEL. THE PLANE TOOK 12 GALS OF FUEL IN THE FRONT TANK, WHICH MEANT I HAD 57 MINS OF RESERVE. I TOOK THE PAX TO HOONAH, AK, AND RETURNED TO JNU. THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT CALLED MY OFFICE AND COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING TO LAND FOR GAS IN AUKE BAY, AND THOUGH I WAS OUT OF FUEL. AT NO TIME DURING OPERATION OF THIS FLT WAS THERE LESS THAN 1/2 HR OF FUEL IN THE FRONT TANK OF THE ACFT. I MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT A LOCATION TO WHICH ADDITIONAL FUEL COULD BE SUPPLIED BY A COMPANY VEH. AFTER RECEIVING ADDITIONAL FUEL, THEREBY AVOIDING VIOLATION OF FAR 135.209, I PROCEEDED TO JNU TO REFUEL. THE NEXT DAY THE SUPERINTENDENT CALLED THE JNU FSDO AND COMPLAINED. THEY IN TURN SENT ME A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION AND ASKED ME TO RESPOND IN WRITING WITHIN 10 DAYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ON ATTEMPTING A CALL BACK, WAS INFORMED THAT RPTR HAD PASSED AWAY. WE ARE UNABLE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS RE: EVENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.