Air taxi pilot departs without sufficient fuel, lands short at aab.

Attributes
ACN	269384
Time
Date	199404
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sdf airport : ftk
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent other other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : sdf
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2000
ASRS Report	269384
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On fri/apr/1994 I received information that I was to take a flight on saturday. I was advised that I would have 5 passenger for a flight to louisville, ky, (sdf) departing at am:00. The aircraft had just returned from a trip that had lasted 1.9 hours block time. I assumed the aircraft was topped off prior to that trip. I went to the aircraft and looked at the wing sight gauges to determine what amount of fuel was on board. I use the sight gauges as I feel the other gauges in the aircraft misrepresent fuel load. Upon observing the gauges I saw what I thought was 60 gallons per side. I then instructed the line service not to put fuel into the aircraft as this amount of fuel was sufficient for the 1 hour flight to sdf. I initiated the flight and the WX was clear with high visibility all along the route. At approximately X:50 I began descent into sdf and at that time the right engine began to surge. I pushed up the throttles, mixtures and propellers and noticed the right fuel flow was on '0.' I turned on the fuel pumps and turned on the xfeed from the left to give fuel to the right. At that time I also advised sdf approach that I would need to go direct to the airport then advised them that I would need the closest available airport. Sdf approach issued me clearance to land at ft. Knox godman aab which was 5 mi away. I landed the aircraft without incident. Upon landing at ft. Knox I determined the following items: the aircraft had not been topped off. I misread the sight gauges in the wing. The aircraft was burning more fuel per hour than I had calculated. At ft. Knox an FBO in elizabethtown, ky, was called and he delivered fuel to the airport. I then ran the airplane up to determine if there might have been a mechanical problem that caused the engine to surge. I found no problems and relocated the aircraft to elizabethtown for additional fuel then proceeded to cape girardeau.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI PLT DEPARTS WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FUEL, LANDS SHORT AT AAB.

Narrative: ON FRI/APR/1994 I RECEIVED INFO THAT I WAS TO TAKE A FLT ON SATURDAY. I WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD HAVE 5 PAX FOR A FLT TO LOUISVILLE, KY, (SDF) DEPARTING AT AM:00. THE ACFT HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP THAT HAD LASTED 1.9 HRS BLOCK TIME. I ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS TOPPED OFF PRIOR TO THAT TRIP. I WENT TO THE ACFT AND LOOKED AT THE WING SIGHT GAUGES TO DETERMINE WHAT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS ON BOARD. I USE THE SIGHT GAUGES AS I FEEL THE OTHER GAUGES IN THE ACFT MISREPRESENT FUEL LOAD. UPON OBSERVING THE GAUGES I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 60 GALLONS PER SIDE. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE LINE SVC NOT TO PUT FUEL INTO THE ACFT AS THIS AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS SUFFICIENT FOR THE 1 HR FLT TO SDF. I INITIATED THE FLT AND THE WX WAS CLEAR WITH HIGH VISIBILITY ALL ALONG THE RTE. AT APPROX X:50 I BEGAN DSCNT INTO SDF AND AT THAT TIME THE R ENG BEGAN TO SURGE. I PUSHED UP THE THROTTLES, MIXTURES AND PROPS AND NOTICED THE R FUEL FLOW WAS ON '0.' I TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMPS AND TURNED ON THE XFEED FROM THE L TO GIVE FUEL TO THE R. AT THAT TIME I ALSO ADVISED SDF APPROACH THAT I WOULD NEED TO GO DIRECT TO THE ARPT THEN ADVISED THEM THAT I WOULD NEED THE CLOSEST AVAILABLE ARPT. SDF APPROACH ISSUED ME CLRNC TO LAND AT FT. KNOX GODMAN AAB WHICH WAS 5 MI AWAY. I LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON LNDG AT FT. KNOX I DETERMINED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN TOPPED OFF. I MISREAD THE SIGHT GAUGES IN THE WING. THE ACFT WAS BURNING MORE FUEL PER HR THAN I HAD CALCULATED. AT FT. KNOX AN FBO IN ELIZABETHTOWN, KY, WAS CALLED AND HE DELIVERED FUEL TO THE ARPT. I THEN RAN THE AIRPLANE UP TO DETERMINE IF THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MECHANICAL PROB THAT CAUSED THE ENG TO SURGE. I FOUND NO PROBS AND RELOCATED THE ACFT TO ELIZABETHTOWN FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL THEN PROCEEDED TO CAPE GIRARDEAU.

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.