Narrative:

Aircraft was to be flown from pwa to bjc with a stop in lbl for fuel. Flight departed pwa at XA30Z, 4500 ft MSL cruise, myself flying, another flight instructor in the right seat. En route the radios were weak and scratchy and the fuel gauges were inaccurate (normal for most training aircraft). We arrived in lbl at XF00Z, topped the tanks (40 gallons usable), and calculated the fuel burn en route, about 8 gallons per hour. After filing a VFR flight plan (lbl to bjc, 3+30 en route time, 5+0 hours fuel), we departed lbl at XF30Z. Due to inaccurate fuel gauges, we switched to the right tank (rather than both) for 1/2 hour while en route. Approximately 10 NM southeast of bjc, engine missed, then quit completely. Pilot banked aircraft to right, switched fuel selector to left tank and initiated a climb from 7500 ft MSL. Engine continued starting and stopping for the remainder of the flight. Contacted bjc tower and told them of engine problems. Continued climb to 8500 ft MSL until 4 NM southeast of bjc. Tower cleared us to land runway 29L or runway 29R. Landing was made without further incident. On the ground at bjc, hobbs time 3.5 hours, fuel gauges both indicated empty. Possible causes: problem somewhere in the fuel system, possible fuel leak. Recurrence prevention: next time make an extra stop for fuel. Most GA aircraft fuel gauges are inaccurate, unless they read empty. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a rockwell darter commander. Mechanics at his local FBO never were able to find the problem with the fuel flow. Each time that the reporter filled the tanks, he had them filled to overflowing. Both he and his flying partner checked the fuel level before departure. Another pilot that flew this aircraft noted that the fuel flow rate seemed to vary from leg to leg. The reporter has not heard from the FAA on this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A ROCKWELL DARTER COMMANDER CREW ALMOST RAN OUT OF FUEL DUE TO VERY HIGH FUEL FLOW FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TO BE FLOWN FROM PWA TO BJC WITH A STOP IN LBL FOR FUEL. FLT DEPARTED PWA AT XA30Z, 4500 FT MSL CRUISE, MYSELF FLYING, ANOTHER FLT INSTRUCTOR IN THE R SEAT. ENRTE THE RADIOS WERE WEAK AND SCRATCHY AND THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INACCURATE (NORMAL FOR MOST TRAINING ACFT). WE ARRIVED IN LBL AT XF00Z, TOPPED THE TANKS (40 GALLONS USABLE), AND CALCULATED THE FUEL BURN ENRTE, ABOUT 8 GALLONS PER HR. AFTER FILING A VFR FLT PLAN (LBL TO BJC, 3+30 ENRTE TIME, 5+0 HRS FUEL), WE DEPARTED LBL AT XF30Z. DUE TO INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES, WE SWITCHED TO THE R TANK (RATHER THAN BOTH) FOR 1/2 HR WHILE ENRTE. APPROX 10 NM SE OF BJC, ENG MISSED, THEN QUIT COMPLETELY. PLT BANKED ACFT TO R, SWITCHED FUEL SELECTOR TO L TANK AND INITIATED A CLB FROM 7500 FT MSL. ENG CONTINUED STARTING AND STOPPING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. CONTACTED BJC TWR AND TOLD THEM OF ENG PROBS. CONTINUED CLB TO 8500 FT MSL UNTIL 4 NM SE OF BJC. TWR CLRED US TO LAND RWY 29L OR RWY 29R. LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ON THE GND AT BJC, HOBBS TIME 3.5 HRS, FUEL GAUGES BOTH INDICATED EMPTY. POSSIBLE CAUSES: PROB SOMEWHERE IN THE FUEL SYS, POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. RECURRENCE PREVENTION: NEXT TIME MAKE AN EXTRA STOP FOR FUEL. MOST GA ACFT FUEL GAUGES ARE INACCURATE, UNLESS THEY READ EMPTY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A ROCKWELL DARTER COMMANDER. MECHS AT HIS LCL FBO NEVER WERE ABLE TO FIND THE PROB WITH THE FUEL FLOW. EACH TIME THAT THE RPTR FILLED THE TANKS, HE HAD THEM FILLED TO OVERFLOWING. BOTH HE AND HIS FLYING PARTNER CHKED THE FUEL LEVEL BEFORE DEP. ANOTHER PLT THAT FLEW THIS ACFT NOTED THAT THE FUEL FLOW RATE SEEMED TO VARY FROM LEG TO LEG. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS.

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.