Narrative:

Stressful conditions the previous week caused me considerable sleep loss prior to the incident leaving me tired and easily distracted. Since flying was part of my livelihood, refusing to fly that day did not seem feasible. Prior to my flying shift, I had gotten behind on the other portion of my job (miscellaneous chores), thus leaving me inadequate time to perform a complete preflight check, and the fuel quantity was overlooked. The aircraft had not been fueled as usual by the line crew. About the time I usually check the fuel gauges during the flight, I saw that they were nearly empty. Immediately I told my passenger (traffic reporter) that we had to land immediately at the nearest airport which was westchester, about 6 mi away. I radioed westchester tower and indicated that we were 'rather low on fuel.' after they promptly cleared me to enter the pattern, I then said, 'we are very low on fuel and we must land.' immediately the tower cleared me for a priority landing. About 1 min later the engine began to run intermittently and I indicated this to the tower. An emergency was declared by the tower. There was just enough fuel to land safely and taxi to the pumps. The obvious lesson learned here is not to forget to check the fuel quantity during preflight, and my failure here was inexcusable. But of equal urgency is to realize that when I am tired and distracted, to be extra cautious during all phases of the flight, or to seriously consider not flying at all that day, no matter how important it is to my livelihood.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA OF TRAFFIC WATCH ACFT DID NOT CHECK FUEL IN ACFT BEFORE DEP AND IN FLT NOTED HIS FUEL NEAR 0 AND LANDED NEAREST ARPT (HPN).

Narrative: STRESSFUL CONDITIONS THE PREVIOUS WK CAUSED ME CONSIDERABLE SLEEP LOSS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT LEAVING ME TIRED AND EASILY DISTRACTED. SINCE FLYING WAS PART OF MY LIVELIHOOD, REFUSING TO FLY THAT DAY DID NOT SEEM FEASIBLE. PRIOR TO MY FLYING SHIFT, I HAD GOTTEN BEHIND ON THE OTHER PORTION OF MY JOB (MISC CHORES), THUS LEAVING ME INADEQUATE TIME TO PERFORM A COMPLETE PREFLT CHK, AND THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS OVERLOOKED. THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN FUELED AS USUAL BY THE LINE CREW. ABOUT THE TIME I USUALLY CHK THE FUEL GAUGES DURING THE FLT, I SAW THAT THEY WERE NEARLY EMPTY. IMMEDIATELY I TOLD MY PAX (TFC RPTR) THAT WE HAD TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AT THE NEAREST ARPT WHICH WAS WESTCHESTER, ABOUT 6 MI AWAY. I RADIOED WESTCHESTER TWR AND INDICATED THAT WE WERE 'RATHER LOW ON FUEL.' AFTER THEY PROMPTLY CLRED ME TO ENTER THE PATTERN, I THEN SAID, 'WE ARE VERY LOW ON FUEL AND WE MUST LAND.' IMMEDIATELY THE TWR CLRED ME FOR A PRIORITY LNDG. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN INTERMITTENTLY AND I INDICATED THIS TO THE TWR. AN EMER WAS DECLARED BY THE TWR. THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH FUEL TO LAND SAFELY AND TAXI TO THE PUMPS. THE OBVIOUS LESSON LEARNED HERE IS NOT TO FORGET TO CHK THE FUEL QUANTITY DURING PREFLT, AND MY FAILURE HERE WAS INEXCUSABLE. BUT OF EQUAL URGENCY IS TO REALIZE THAT WHEN I AM TIRED AND DISTRACTED, TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS DURING ALL PHASES OF THE FLT, OR TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NOT FLYING AT ALL THAT DAY, NO MATTER HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MY LIVELIHOOD.

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.