Narrative:

Our aircraft was fueled to 2700 pounds of fuel. About 40 NM west of our departure, I noticed after approximately 300 pounds of burn we only had 1500 pounds of fuel remaining. I wasn't sure of the source of the loss of fuel or cause. I was also unsure if the fuel loss would continue, so I declared an emergency and requested the nearest suitable airport. I was cleared to detroit metropolitan. En route the fuel quantity decreased at a normal rate, but we continued the emergency and requested crash/fire/rescue to standby. The flight was completed with a normal safe landing and no damage or injury occurred. Before the flight, my first officer and myself checked the fuel at least 3 times and found it to be normal. I was told later that it was a faulty fuel gauge. Maybe the gauges should be checked more often on service checks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT INSTITUTED AFTER FUEL REMAINING APPEARED TOO LOW FOR REMAINING PORTION OF FLT.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS FUELED TO 2700 LBS OF FUEL. ABOUT 40 NM W OF OUR DEP, I NOTICED AFTER APPROX 300 LBS OF BURN WE ONLY HAD 1500 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. I WASN'T SURE OF THE SOURCE OF THE LOSS OF FUEL OR CAUSE. I WAS ALSO UNSURE IF THE FUEL LOSS WOULD CONTINUE, SO I DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. I WAS CLRED TO DETROIT METRO. ENRTE THE FUEL QUANTITY DECREASED AT A NORMAL RATE, BUT WE CONTINUED THE EMER AND REQUESTED CRASH/FIRE/RESCUE TO STANDBY. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITH A NORMAL SAFE LNDG AND NO DAMAGE OR INJURY OCCURRED. BEFORE THE FLT, MY FO AND MYSELF CHKED THE FUEL AT LEAST 3 TIMES AND FOUND IT TO BE NORMAL. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT IT WAS A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE. MAYBE THE GAUGES SHOULD BE CHKED MORE OFTEN ON SVC CHKS.

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.