Narrative:

Background information: aircraft was an small transport twin which only requires 1 pilot, but for safety our company uses a copilot on most flts. While preparing for a passenger trip from yip to rsp, the crew failed to visually check the quantity of fuel in the right wing tank. After about 20 mins into the flight the captain noticed that the right fuel gauge was erratic and the left gauge was stable. The captain then contacted the dispatcher on the company frequency to verify that it was fueled, but the dispatcher didn't know that there was an error on the fuel receipt and the information that the captain received was incorrect. With all the information that the captain received he elected to continue the flight. Approximately 1 hour 2 mins into the flight, the right engine fuel pressure was lower than normal, but still within the operating limits. A few mins later the low fuel psi light for the right-hand engine came on and the fuel pressure gauge went to 0. This was followed by engine roughness, and we followed through with emergency engine shutdown procedures for the right engine. We then received vectors for the nearest suitable airport and landed there west/O further incident. I feel there were several reasons for this incident to occur: failure of pilot and copilot to adhere to the preflight checklist of communication and coordination between the pilot and copilot as to responsibilities and duties, failure of captain to supervise coplts checklist, incorrect information given to the captain in-flight from the dispatcher and the fuel gauge, captain should not rely on information given from outside service (dispatch), inaccurate fuel bills, and no company procedures for assignment of duties to the captain and copilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT AIR TAXI, MISFUELED AT DEP, EXPERIENCES FUEL STARVATION FOR RIGHT ENGINE AND MAKES A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: BACKGROUND INFO: ACFT WAS AN SMT TWIN WHICH ONLY REQUIRES 1 PLT, BUT FOR SAFETY OUR COMPANY USES A COPLT ON MOST FLTS. WHILE PREPARING FOR A PAX TRIP FROM YIP TO RSP, THE CREW FAILED TO VISUALLY CHK THE QUANTITY OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING TANK. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE WAS ERRATIC AND THE LEFT GAUGE WAS STABLE. THE CAPT THEN CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER ON THE COMPANY FREQ TO VERIFY THAT IT WAS FUELED, BUT THE DISPATCHER DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR ON THE FUEL RECEIPT AND THE INFO THAT THE CAPT RECEIVED WAS INCORRECT. WITH ALL THE INFO THAT THE CAPT RECEIVED HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. APPROX 1 HR 2 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE RIGHT ENG FUEL PRESSURE WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL, BUT STILL WITHIN THE OPERATING LIMITS. A FEW MINS LATER THE LOW FUEL PSI LIGHT FOR THE RIGHT-HAND ENG CAME ON AND THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE WENT TO 0. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY ENG ROUGHNESS, AND WE FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH EMER ENG SHUTDOWN PROCS FOR THE RIGHT ENG. WE THEN RECEIVED VECTORS FOR THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AND LANDED THERE W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I FEEL THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS INCIDENT TO OCCUR: FAILURE OF PLT AND COPLT TO ADHERE TO THE PREFLT CHKLIST OF COM AND COORD BTWN THE PLT AND COPLT AS TO RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES, FAILURE OF CAPT TO SUPERVISE COPLTS CHKLIST, INCORRECT INFO GIVEN TO THE CAPT IN-FLT FROM THE DISPATCHER AND THE FUEL GAUGE, CAPT SHOULD NOT RELY ON INFO GIVEN FROM OUTSIDE SVC (DISPATCH), INACCURATE FUEL BILLS, AND NO COMPANY PROCS FOR ASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES TO THE CAPT AND COPLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.