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Instructor with student pilot notices erratic fuel indications and requests direct route to airport. On refuel aircraft took 19 pt 7 gals instead of approximately 12 gals it should have.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 390042 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : frg |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1300 agl bound upper : 1300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : frg |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 2950 flight time type : 70 |
| ASRS Report | 390042 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Departed frg airport in student's C150 after topping tanks (22.5 gals usable). Normal burn at 2500 RPM, 75% power is 5.3 gals/hour. Endurance estimated at 4.3 hours. Duration of flight was 2.8 hours hobbs. After airwork and takeoffs and lndgs at nearby isp, aircraft was returning to frg. Instructor noticed fuel gauges reading erratic and low. The left tank read 1/8 to empty. The right tank read 1/8 to 1/4 full. Since we (student and instructor) were not sure if fuel was low or gauges malfunctioned, we requested direct to airport, explaining situation to frg tower. We declined declaring an emergency. The landing was normal. Taxiing back to fueling tanks, the aircraft took 19.7 gals (capacity was 22 1/2 gals usable, 26 gals total). Total time of flight was 2.8 hours. I am not sure where the fuel went but the fuel consumption was more than listed in poh. Maybe during airwork, fuel leaked out of overflow vent or engine is in need of adjustment. We should have had a reserve of at least 1.5 hours (minimum) left when we landed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT NOTICES ERRATIC FUEL INDICATIONS AND REQUESTS DIRECT RTE TO ARPT. ON REFUEL ACFT TOOK 19 PT 7 GALS INSTEAD OF APPROX 12 GALS IT SHOULD HAVE.
Narrative: DEPARTED FRG ARPT IN STUDENT'S C150 AFTER TOPPING TANKS (22.5 GALS USABLE). NORMAL BURN AT 2500 RPM, 75% PWR IS 5.3 GALS/HR. ENDURANCE ESTIMATED AT 4.3 HRS. DURATION OF FLT WAS 2.8 HRS HOBBS. AFTER AIRWORK AND TKOFS AND LNDGS AT NEARBY ISP, ACFT WAS RETURNING TO FRG. INSTRUCTOR NOTICED FUEL GAUGES READING ERRATIC AND LOW. THE L TANK READ 1/8 TO EMPTY. THE R TANK READ 1/8 TO 1/4 FULL. SINCE WE (STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR) WERE NOT SURE IF FUEL WAS LOW OR GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED, WE REQUESTED DIRECT TO ARPT, EXPLAINING SIT TO FRG TWR. WE DECLINED DECLARING AN EMER. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. TAXIING BACK TO FUELING TANKS, THE ACFT TOOK 19.7 GALS (CAPACITY WAS 22 1/2 GALS USABLE, 26 GALS TOTAL). TOTAL TIME OF FLT WAS 2.8 HRS. I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE FUEL WENT BUT THE FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS MORE THAN LISTED IN POH. MAYBE DURING AIRWORK, FUEL LEAKED OUT OF OVERFLOW VENT OR ENG IS IN NEED OF ADJUSTMENT. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A RESERVE OF AT LEAST 1.5 HRS (MINIMUM) LEFT WHEN WE LANDED.
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.