Narrative:

2 incidents happened on IFR flight from benton harbor, mi, to san antonio, tx, on apr/thu/93. The first happened upon landing my small aircraft at memphis international airport to refuel. I was flying and memphis approach control was handing me off to the tower with heavy jet traffic behind me and controller advising me to keep my speed up. Was unable to raise the tower on assigned frequency while on 2 mi final on handoff. Went back to approach and they gave me clearance to land. However, on fast manipulation with radios and trying to keep speed up, the #2 communication knob failed and would not engage and only slipped. This had been fixed in the past. Distrs lead to a very high and fast landing with advice from the tower that my gear was up. I got slowed up and gear down and no problems. 2 points: the radios at approach end of runway 27 memphis international were being installed and new work was being done according to the tower when I talked to them. Also, there was fast traffic apparently close behind me and I was trying to oblige the approach controller. I guess this doesn't obviate me from flying the airplane first, or if nothing else, request a go around. Perhaps this would have been the better alternative. Incident #2: fueled up at memphis and refiled for san antonio and got 2 mi out and the alternator quit and requested to land and promptly had it fixed in 1/2 hour job. With a capacity of 92 gallons, proceeded on to san antonio IFR. Noticed that the gauge on the 2 auxiliary tanks did not read full as usual and were topped short. Still thought I had a good capacity for destination. Got over austin, tx, and got ready to switch to final main tank and found it 3/4 full as I forgot to take into consideration the quick relndg and takeoff to repair the alternator wire. Only 10-15 mins from stinson field confessed to controller of low fuel problem and he cleared me to 1/2 way from stinson VOR and stinson field at 2500 ft with a broken layer below. I could not quite see enough to find the field below this and went lower. The visibility was 8-10 mi below the broken to scattered layer and I got down around 1900 ft and could see stinson and proceeded to land with no problem. My errors here were that I failed to visually inspect my fuel at memphis in all 5 tanks, however, I did check the 20 gallon auxiliary tank and did proceed to make sure the caps were on tight and the caps secured. Also, I forgot to take into consideration the quick landing and re-takeoff to fix the alternator. At san antonio, when given a heading between the VOR and stinson airport, I guess I was afraid the controller was going to have me shoot an approach so I ducked down and saw the field and so advised. I had the LORAN and it showed me exactly how far I was from the field. The layer at 2300 ft was just goopy enough that I couldn't see the field without going lower. Moral is the same old story: visually inspect your fuel each time (low wing no excuses) and forget the infallibility of topping off 92 gallons with only 500 mi to go.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HAD COMS PROBS, THEN ACFT PROBS, THEN TOOK OFF WITH LESS THAN FULL FUEL TANKS.

Narrative: 2 INCIDENTS HAPPENED ON IFR FLT FROM BENTON HARBOR, MI, TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, ON APR/THU/93. THE FIRST HAPPENED UPON LNDG MY SMA AT MEMPHIS INTL ARPT TO REFUEL. I WAS FLYING AND MEMPHIS APCH CTL WAS HANDING ME OFF TO THE TWR WITH HVY JET TFC BEHIND ME AND CTLR ADVISING ME TO KEEP MY SPD UP. WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE TWR ON ASSIGNED FREQ WHILE ON 2 MI FINAL ON HDOF. WENT BACK TO APCH AND THEY GAVE ME CLRNC TO LAND. HOWEVER, ON FAST MANIPULATION WITH RADIOS AND TRYING TO KEEP SPD UP, THE #2 COM KNOB FAILED AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND ONLY SLIPPED. THIS HAD BEEN FIXED IN THE PAST. DISTRS LEAD TO A VERY HIGH AND FAST LNDG WITH ADVICE FROM THE TWR THAT MY GEAR WAS UP. I GOT SLOWED UP AND GEAR DOWN AND NO PROBS. 2 POINTS: THE RADIOS AT APCH END OF RWY 27 MEMPHIS INTL WERE BEING INSTALLED AND NEW WORK WAS BEING DONE ACCORDING TO THE TWR WHEN I TALKED TO THEM. ALSO, THERE WAS FAST TFC APPARENTLY CLOSE BEHIND ME AND I WAS TRYING TO OBLIGE THE APCH CTLR. I GUESS THIS DOESN'T OBVIATE ME FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE FIRST, OR IF NOTHING ELSE, REQUEST A GAR. PERHAPS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BETTER ALTERNATIVE. INCIDENT #2: FUELED UP AT MEMPHIS AND REFILED FOR SAN ANTONIO AND GOT 2 MI OUT AND THE ALTERNATOR QUIT AND REQUESTED TO LAND AND PROMPTLY HAD IT FIXED IN 1/2 HR JOB. WITH A CAPACITY OF 92 GALLONS, PROCEEDED ON TO SAN ANTONIO IFR. NOTICED THAT THE GAUGE ON THE 2 AUX TANKS DID NOT READ FULL AS USUAL AND WERE TOPPED SHORT. STILL THOUGHT I HAD A GOOD CAPACITY FOR DEST. GOT OVER AUSTIN, TX, AND GOT READY TO SWITCH TO FINAL MAIN TANK AND FOUND IT 3/4 FULL AS I FORGOT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE QUICK RELNDG AND TKOF TO REPAIR THE ALTERNATOR WIRE. ONLY 10-15 MINS FROM STINSON FIELD CONFESSED TO CTLR OF LOW FUEL PROB AND HE CLRED ME TO 1/2 WAY FROM STINSON VOR AND STINSON FIELD AT 2500 FT WITH A BROKEN LAYER BELOW. I COULD NOT QUITE SEE ENOUGH TO FIND THE FIELD BELOW THIS AND WENT LOWER. THE VISIBILITY WAS 8-10 MI BELOW THE BROKEN TO SCATTERED LAYER AND I GOT DOWN AROUND 1900 FT AND COULD SEE STINSON AND PROCEEDED TO LAND WITH NO PROB. MY ERRORS HERE WERE THAT I FAILED TO VISUALLY INSPECT MY FUEL AT MEMPHIS IN ALL 5 TANKS, HOWEVER, I DID CHK THE 20 GALLON AUX TANK AND DID PROCEED TO MAKE SURE THE CAPS WERE ON TIGHT AND THE CAPS SECURED. ALSO, I FORGOT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE QUICK LNDG AND RE-TKOF TO FIX THE ALTERNATOR. AT SAN ANTONIO, WHEN GIVEN A HDG BTWN THE VOR AND STINSON ARPT, I GUESS I WAS AFRAID THE CTLR WAS GOING TO HAVE ME SHOOT AN APCH SO I DUCKED DOWN AND SAW THE FIELD AND SO ADVISED. I HAD THE LORAN AND IT SHOWED ME EXACTLY HOW FAR I WAS FROM THE FIELD. THE LAYER AT 2300 FT WAS JUST GOOPY ENOUGH THAT I COULDN'T SEE THE FIELD WITHOUT GOING LOWER. MORAL IS THE SAME OLD STORY: VISUALLY INSPECT YOUR FUEL EACH TIME (LOW WING NO EXCUSES) AND FORGET THE INFALLIBILITY OF TOPPING OFF 92 GALLONS WITH ONLY 500 MI TO GO.

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.