Pilot of an atx cargo piper PA31 twin engine navajo ran out of fuel during descent to land and had t...

Attributes
ACN	402529
Time
Date	199805
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cdb
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 2000
ASRS Report	402529
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	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

En route on a scheduled part 135 cargo-only flight, pilot noted rapidly deteriorating fuel quantity indication. Power was reduced to economy cruise settings. However, fuel starvation occurred during initial descent to the cold bay airport. As each engine failed, it was feathered, and an off- airport landing made without incident. During approach, gear was hand pumped down and final position radioed to company. No damage to the aircraft occurred. Upon recovery of the aircraft it was verified that all 4 fuel tanks were completely drained of usable fuel. However, refilling the tanks with a calibrated bucket yielded quantity indications significantly in error. The main tanks, which hold 56 gallons per tank, indicated 1/4 full with just 5 gallons in each, and 1/2 full with 15 gallons. Although an error in judgement was made by the PIC relevant to the fuel carried and the method of determining that quantity (light aircraft fuel gauges), these erroneous readings contributed to the unsuccessful outcome of the flight. In aircraft in which a visual determination of fuel quantity is impossible with less than full tanks, ie, looking into the tank visually, such as the PA31 series, calibration of fuel quantity indicators seems to be critical. Contributing factors were a scarcity of viable airports to which to divert, a significant headwind, and the lack of a timely enough response to a clearly worsening situation (earlier fuel conservation or diversion efforts).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX CARGO PIPER PA31 TWIN ENG NAVAJO RAN OUT OF FUEL DURING DSCNT TO LAND AND HAD TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG OFF ARPT RESULTING IN NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. WHEN THE ACFT WAS REFUELED IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED MORE FUEL THAN WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TANK.

Narrative: ENRTE ON A SCHEDULED PART 135 CARGO-ONLY FLT, PLT NOTED RAPIDLY DETERIORATING FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION. PWR WAS REDUCED TO ECONOMY CRUISE SETTINGS. HOWEVER, FUEL STARVATION OCCURRED DURING INITIAL DSCNT TO THE COLD BAY ARPT. AS EACH ENG FAILED, IT WAS FEATHERED, AND AN OFF- ARPT LNDG MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING APCH, GEAR WAS HAND PUMPED DOWN AND FINAL POS RADIOED TO COMPANY. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OCCURRED. UPON RECOVERY OF THE ACFT IT WAS VERIFIED THAT ALL 4 FUEL TANKS WERE COMPLETELY DRAINED OF USABLE FUEL. HOWEVER, REFILLING THE TANKS WITH A CALIBRATED BUCKET YIELDED QUANTITY INDICATIONS SIGNIFICANTLY IN ERROR. THE MAIN TANKS, WHICH HOLD 56 GALLONS PER TANK, INDICATED 1/4 FULL WITH JUST 5 GALLONS IN EACH, AND 1/2 FULL WITH 15 GALLONS. ALTHOUGH AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT WAS MADE BY THE PIC RELEVANT TO THE FUEL CARRIED AND THE METHOD OF DETERMINING THAT QUANTITY (LIGHT ACFT FUEL GAUGES), THESE ERRONEOUS READINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNSUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE FLT. IN ACFT IN WHICH A VISUAL DETERMINATION OF FUEL QUANTITY IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH LESS THAN FULL TANKS, IE, LOOKING INTO THE TANK VISUALLY, SUCH AS THE PA31 SERIES, CALIBRATION OF FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS SEEMS TO BE CRITICAL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A SCARCITY OF VIABLE ARPTS TO WHICH TO DIVERT, A SIGNIFICANT HEADWIND, AND THE LACK OF A TIMELY ENOUGH RESPONSE TO A CLRLY WORSENING SIT (EARLIER FUEL CONSERVATION OR DIVERSION EFFORTS).

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.

Pilot of an atx cargo piper PA31 twin engine navajo ran out of fuel during descent to land and had to make an emergency landing off airport resulting in no damage to the aircraft. When the aircraft was refueled it was noted that the fuel gauges indicated more fuel than was actually in the tank.