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During an aerial survey flight the pilot of a C-172 miscalculated the fuel remaining. The engine shut down and the pilot landed the aircraft at the destination airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1260895 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201505 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Route In Use | Other GPS Ground Tracks |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Fuel Distribution System |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Commercial |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60 Flight Crew Total 1980 Flight Crew Type 1900 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue |
Narrative:
On an aerial survey mission; at 7;500 MSL (7;400 AGL) the aircraft got low on fuel. My calculations estimated :45 fuel remaining. I had selected one tank so as to assure extra fuel remaining in the other tank. While over the field; the selected tank ran dry. I then selected 'both' and began an immediate approach. During an extended slip from 7;500 to touchdown; 80 foot field elevation; the engine never restarted. The airplane came to a stop at the exit taxiway. We pushed it to the fuel island.the field was only 2nm and glide range was at least 12nm.I made the following errors:- I should have landed for fuel when my calculations showed 1hr remaining.- when selecting the 'good tank'; I put the selector on 'both' rather than the single tank.- I should have ensured the forward slip was in the direction of keeping the tank with fuel on the high side; so as to not 'un-port' the tank.refueling showed that there was only :15 of fuel in the tank.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: During an aerial survey flight the pilot of a C-172 miscalculated the fuel remaining. The engine shut down and the pilot landed the aircraft at the destination airport.
Narrative: On an Aerial Survey mission; at 7;500 MSL (7;400 AGL) the aircraft got low on fuel. My calculations estimated :45 fuel remaining. I had selected one tank so as to assure extra fuel remaining in the other tank. While over the field; the selected tank ran dry. I then selected 'both' and began an immediate approach. During an extended slip from 7;500 to touchdown; 80 foot field elevation; the engine never restarted. The airplane came to a stop at the exit taxiway. We pushed it to the fuel island.The field was only 2nm and glide range was at least 12nm.I made the following errors:- I should have landed for fuel when my calculations showed 1hr remaining.- When selecting the 'good tank'; I put the selector on 'both' rather than the single tank.- I should have ensured the forward slip was in the direction of keeping the tank with fuel on the high side; so as to not 'un-port' the tank.Refueling showed that there was only :15 of fuel in the tank.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.