C340 pilot had #2 engine fail due to running out of gas at grb.

Attributes
ACN	510920
Time
Date	200105
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grb.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm other
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : grb.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 340/340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	510920
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan to 63C (adams county) but changed our destination to grb due to a prior diversion for thunderstorm avoidance. Total fuel on board at takeoff was 180 gallons usable. Burn was at 28 gph total. We were at FL190 and cleared to descend. We broke out of the overcast at 9000 ft MSL. At 2500 ft MSL, we were cleared for the visual approach by grb approach control (tower closed). On final, at approximately 600 ft AGL (1200 ft MSL), the right engine lost power. I followed the emergency restart procedure of changing from the right main tank to the right auxiliary tank and switched the auxiliary fuel pump from low to high without any success at restarting. At that time, the RPM was too slow to go into feather and we could not maintain altitude to make it to the runway. We landed in control in the 'safe' zone of runway 18. On this flight, as most all long flts, the fuel management of the C340 is planned. I run 2 hours out of the mains, then 50 mins out of the auxs (where overflow still returns to each respective engine's tip or main tank). After 50 mins (which leaves fuel in the auxs so the bladders to do not dry out), the right engine is switched to the right tip (main) tank and the left engine is also switched to the right tip tank. The right nacelle tank (20 gallons) xfer pump is turned on so the fuel is xferred to the right tip tank. After 15 mins, the left engine is switched to the left tip and the xfer pump left on for another 15 mins. This allows for evening out the weight of the fuel in the tips of the aircraft. On inspection of the aircraft the next day, I found the circuit breaker out on the xfer pump. Thus, the fuel from the right nacelle tank never was xferred to the right tip. Unfortunately, the C340 fuel gauges are not reliable to always confirm xfer and I do not let the xfer pump run the tank dry to preserve the bladder (when the tank is dry, an annunciator light comes on). The right engine probably failed due to lack of fuel in the tip tank. I do not know why it did not restart after switching tanks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C340 PLT HAD #2 ENG FAIL DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF GAS AT GRB.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO 63C (ADAMS COUNTY) BUT CHANGED OUR DEST TO GRB DUE TO A PRIOR DIVERSION FOR TSTM AVOIDANCE. TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD AT TKOF WAS 180 GALLONS USABLE. BURN WAS AT 28 GPH TOTAL. WE WERE AT FL190 AND CLRED TO DSND. WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AT 9000 FT MSL. AT 2500 FT MSL, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH BY GRB APCH CTL (TWR CLOSED). ON FINAL, AT APPROX 600 FT AGL (1200 FT MSL), THE R ENG LOST PWR. I FOLLOWED THE EMER RESTART PROC OF CHANGING FROM THE R MAIN TANK TO THE R AUX TANK AND SWITCHED THE AUX FUEL PUMP FROM LOW TO HIGH WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS AT RESTARTING. AT THAT TIME, THE RPM WAS TOO SLOW TO GO INTO FEATHER AND WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT TO MAKE IT TO THE RWY. WE LANDED IN CTL IN THE 'SAFE' ZONE OF RWY 18. ON THIS FLT, AS MOST ALL LONG FLTS, THE FUEL MGMNT OF THE C340 IS PLANNED. I RUN 2 HRS OUT OF THE MAINS, THEN 50 MINS OUT OF THE AUXS (WHERE OVERFLOW STILL RETURNS TO EACH RESPECTIVE ENG'S TIP OR MAIN TANK). AFTER 50 MINS (WHICH LEAVES FUEL IN THE AUXS SO THE BLADDERS TO DO NOT DRY OUT), THE R ENG IS SWITCHED TO THE R TIP (MAIN) TANK AND THE L ENG IS ALSO SWITCHED TO THE R TIP TANK. THE R NACELLE TANK (20 GALLONS) XFER PUMP IS TURNED ON SO THE FUEL IS XFERRED TO THE R TIP TANK. AFTER 15 MINS, THE L ENG IS SWITCHED TO THE L TIP AND THE XFER PUMP LEFT ON FOR ANOTHER 15 MINS. THIS ALLOWS FOR EVENING OUT THE WT OF THE FUEL IN THE TIPS OF THE ACFT. ON INSPECTION OF THE ACFT THE NEXT DAY, I FOUND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OUT ON THE XFER PUMP. THUS, THE FUEL FROM THE R NACELLE TANK NEVER WAS XFERRED TO THE R TIP. UNFORTUNATELY, THE C340 FUEL GAUGES ARE NOT RELIABLE TO ALWAYS CONFIRM XFER AND I DO NOT LET THE XFER PUMP RUN THE TANK DRY TO PRESERVE THE BLADDER (WHEN THE TANK IS DRY, AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT COMES ON). THE R ENG PROBABLY FAILED DUE TO LACK OF FUEL IN THE TIP TANK. I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT DID NOT RESTART AFTER SWITCHING TANKS.

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.