GA small transport fuel exhaustion and diversion to alternate after declaring fuel emergency.

Attributes
ACN	196720
Time
Date	199112
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eri
State Reference	PA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : eri
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3950 flight time type : 130
ASRS Report	196720
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After survey flts in ca and nv returning cross country to east coast base of operations, departed from goodland, ks, (gld) original destination (refueling stop) was ft wayne, in. Good VFR WX along route, 40-45 KT tailwinds, and a calculated fuel endurance of 5+30 led me to change fueling stop to erie, PA. Estimated 30 min reserve upon arrival. Endurance calculation was based on time it took to use 1/2 of fuel in main tanks based on fuel gauges. I felt this was conservative since it included startup, taxi, runup, takeoff and climb. During descent, approximately 25 NM west of eri, over lake erie, became apparent that I had less fuel remaining than anticipated. Shortly thereafter left engine quit. Switched to nearby empty auxiliary tank, turned south towards lakeshore, and declared fuel emergency. Controller provided vector and distance to ashtabula county airport (7g2). Tracked directly to field using LORAN and landed uneventfully. Total flight time 4:57. Possible factors: poor judgement, lack of common sense, failure to back up endurance figure with calculation based on fuel flow and fuel available, occasionally erratic indications of left fuel gauge, over reliance on supposed accuracy of capacitance type fuel gauge, parallax error in reading overhead fuel gauges, failure of fuel low level warning system, get homeitis -- trying to stretch it, fatigue -- 2 days of early starts and long hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT FUEL EXHAUSTION AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE AFTER DECLARING FUEL EMER.

Narrative: AFTER SURVEY FLTS IN CA AND NV RETURNING XCOUNTRY TO E COAST BASE OF OPS, DEPARTED FROM GOODLAND, KS, (GLD) ORIGINAL DEST (REFUELING STOP) WAS FT WAYNE, IN. GOOD VFR WX ALONG RTE, 40-45 KT TAILWINDS, AND A CALCULATED FUEL ENDURANCE OF 5+30 LED ME TO CHANGE FUELING STOP TO ERIE, PA. ESTIMATED 30 MIN RESERVE UPON ARR. ENDURANCE CALCULATION WAS BASED ON TIME IT TOOK TO USE 1/2 OF FUEL IN MAIN TANKS BASED ON FUEL GAUGES. I FELT THIS WAS CONSERVATIVE SINCE IT INCLUDED STARTUP, TAXI, RUNUP, TKOF AND CLB. DURING DSCNT, APPROX 25 NM W OF ERI, OVER LAKE ERIE, BECAME APPARENT THAT I HAD LESS FUEL REMAINING THAN ANTICIPATED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER L ENG QUIT. SWITCHED TO NEARBY EMPTY AUX TANK, TURNED S TOWARDS LAKESHORE, AND DECLARED FUEL EMER. CTLR PROVIDED VECTOR AND DISTANCE TO ASHTABULA COUNTY ARPT (7G2). TRACKED DIRECTLY TO FIELD USING LORAN AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TOTAL FLT TIME 4:57. POSSIBLE FACTORS: POOR JUDGEMENT, LACK OF COMMON SENSE, FAILURE TO BACK UP ENDURANCE FIGURE WITH CALCULATION BASED ON FUEL FLOW AND FUEL AVAILABLE, OCCASIONALLY ERRATIC INDICATIONS OF L FUEL GAUGE, OVER RELIANCE ON SUPPOSED ACCURACY OF CAPACITANCE TYPE FUEL GAUGE, PARALLAX ERROR IN READING OVERHEAD FUEL GAUGES, FAILURE OF FUEL LOW LEVEL WARNING SYS, GET HOMEITIS -- TRYING TO STRETCH IT, FATIGUE -- 2 DAYS OF EARLY STARTS AND LONG HRS.

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.