Narrative:

A PA31/G; on an IFR flight plan; with 5 souls on board; en route during transition from cruise flight to descent from 6000 ft MSL; when I changed the fuel selectors from the auxiliary fuel tanks to the main fuel tanks. I noticed that the main fuel gauges were reading a little more than 1/8 fuel remaining. History: prior to this day's flight; the aircraft was completely fueled with 192 gallons on board; 183.4 usable according to afm. This equates to 4.1 hours of flying time. I made a flight consisting of 1.3 hours total time. That left 2.8 hours of fuel in the aircraft for the flight above. The aircraft had not flown since the friday flts. My planned flight time for tuesday's flts was a total of 1.4 hours. This would leave; I thought; 1.4 hours in the tanks at destination. I consistently operate the PA31 in cruise flight at 31 inches of manifold pressure and 2300 RPM; with the egt's at 1350-1375 degrees and a fuel flow of about 20 gph per engine. Considering another 5 gallons for takeoff and climb gives a total of 45 gph; including lower power and lower fuel flows for dscnts and lndgs. Friday's flts were made with no delays during departures or arrs. As I stated earlier; I thought I had about 3 hours of fuel when I departed. I did not refuel because I didn't know the number of passenger; weight; nor the amount of baggage or gear they might have; and with a 1.4 reserve; I was well above the 45 min far requirement (I usually up that by 5-15 mins; considering WX and winds). Though I did not visually peer into the tanks; a check of the gauges showed nearly what I had mentally figured for the fuel load during preflight. The same was true upon start for the flight. On leveloff; when I switched to the auxiliary tanks; the mains were indicating just under 1/2 tanks. The auxiliary tanks were also indicating 1/2. If the gauges were accurate then I had 96 gallons with 91.7 usable; and with 0.8 hours to fly and nearly 2 hours of fuel (I had about 8 min delay for traffic ahead of me) things were normal. Approximately 40 NM short of destination; the controller gave us a descent to 4000 ft and; as per checklist; I switched back to the main tanks; and noted the fuel gauges at a little over 1/8 tank on both sides. I commented to the pilot in the copilot seat (not current in the PA31) that the gauges did not look right and that I had had about 3 hours of fuel when I departed earlier. Throughout my 45+ yr flying career I have been taught (and by experience have learned) not to rely on fuel gauges. But these; being so low; bothered me. I switched the GPS to the 'nearest' page; to discover that our best course was to continue toward destination while trying to resolve my doubt as to what my mental fuel calculations and what the gauges were telling me (where was that reserve fuel?). Fuel loading; flight times and fuel flows all said I still had 1 hour of fuel. The gauges said I had less than 12 mins. I decided to go with the gauges; headed for ZZZ. I also decided to use all available fuel from the auxiliary tanks; and switched back to them until the right fuel flow; fuel pressure light; and engine surge told me to switch back to the mains; which I did. We were talking to approach control about the situation; and they were giving us vectors and distance to ZZZ. About 3 mins later; and some 8-10 mi from ZZZ at 2000 ft; the left engine died. At this time; I declared an emergency; considering that the right engine should already have failed because of using the janitrol heater; fed by the right fuel system; and certainly we surely would lose the right engine before we got to ZZZ. We also had no suitable landing sites. While descending slowly to 1600 ft MSL; I realized I had not properly shut down the left engine. I immediately feathered the left propeller which allowed the right engine to level us out and even to climb to 1800 ft MSL. We were coursing straight to ZZZ when the copilot; who was familiar with the area; told me where the runway was and how I was lined up. I turned slightly left to enter a right base for runway 31. When I saw the runway I was on a close-in right base. I lowered the gear; and shortly after; the flaps; landed and rolled off the runway onto the edge of the parking apron. I remember that; forsome reason on the runway; I had pulled the right engine mixture to idle cutoff; and wasn't quick enough to get it back up before the right engine quit. So I simply rolled to a stop on the tarmac. I tried one start on the right engine to no avail. The passenger deplaned and I had the airplane towed to parking.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 PLT RUNS LOW ON FUEL DURING CRUISE; 1 ENG FAILS AND THE ACFT LANDS AT A SUITABLE FIELD.

Narrative: A PA31/G; ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; WITH 5 SOULS ON BOARD; ENRTE DURING TRANSITION FROM CRUISE FLT TO DSCNT FROM 6000 FT MSL; WHEN I CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTORS FROM THE AUX FUEL TANKS TO THE MAIN FUEL TANKS. I NOTICED THAT THE MAIN FUEL GAUGES WERE READING A LITTLE MORE THAN 1/8 FUEL REMAINING. HISTORY: PRIOR TO THIS DAY'S FLT; THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY FUELED WITH 192 GALLONS ON BOARD; 183.4 USABLE ACCORDING TO AFM. THIS EQUATES TO 4.1 HRS OF FLYING TIME. I MADE A FLT CONSISTING OF 1.3 HRS TOTAL TIME. THAT LEFT 2.8 HRS OF FUEL IN THE ACFT FOR THE FLT ABOVE. THE ACFT HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE THE FRIDAY FLTS. MY PLANNED FLT TIME FOR TUESDAY'S FLTS WAS A TOTAL OF 1.4 HRS. THIS WOULD LEAVE; I THOUGHT; 1.4 HRS IN THE TANKS AT DEST. I CONSISTENTLY OPERATE THE PA31 IN CRUISE FLT AT 31 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2300 RPM; WITH THE EGT'S AT 1350-1375 DEGS AND A FUEL FLOW OF ABOUT 20 GPH PER ENG. CONSIDERING ANOTHER 5 GALLONS FOR TKOF AND CLB GIVES A TOTAL OF 45 GPH; INCLUDING LOWER PWR AND LOWER FUEL FLOWS FOR DSCNTS AND LNDGS. FRIDAY'S FLTS WERE MADE WITH NO DELAYS DURING DEPS OR ARRS. AS I STATED EARLIER; I THOUGHT I HAD ABOUT 3 HRS OF FUEL WHEN I DEPARTED. I DID NOT REFUEL BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THE NUMBER OF PAX; WT; NOR THE AMOUNT OF BAGGAGE OR GEAR THEY MIGHT HAVE; AND WITH A 1.4 RESERVE; I WAS WELL ABOVE THE 45 MIN FAR REQUIREMENT (I USUALLY UP THAT BY 5-15 MINS; CONSIDERING WX AND WINDS). THOUGH I DID NOT VISUALLY PEER INTO THE TANKS; A CHK OF THE GAUGES SHOWED NEARLY WHAT I HAD MENTALLY FIGURED FOR THE FUEL LOAD DURING PREFLT. THE SAME WAS TRUE UPON START FOR THE FLT. ON LEVELOFF; WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE AUX TANKS; THE MAINS WERE INDICATING JUST UNDER 1/2 TANKS. THE AUX TANKS WERE ALSO INDICATING 1/2. IF THE GAUGES WERE ACCURATE THEN I HAD 96 GALLONS WITH 91.7 USABLE; AND WITH 0.8 HRS TO FLY AND NEARLY 2 HRS OF FUEL (I HAD ABOUT 8 MIN DELAY FOR TFC AHEAD OF ME) THINGS WERE NORMAL. APPROX 40 NM SHORT OF DEST; THE CTLR GAVE US A DSCNT TO 4000 FT AND; AS PER CHKLIST; I SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAIN TANKS; AND NOTED THE FUEL GAUGES AT A LITTLE OVER 1/8 TANK ON BOTH SIDES. I COMMENTED TO THE PLT IN THE COPLT SEAT (NOT CURRENT IN THE PA31) THAT THE GAUGES DID NOT LOOK RIGHT AND THAT I HAD HAD ABOUT 3 HRS OF FUEL WHEN I DEPARTED EARLIER. THROUGHOUT MY 45+ YR FLYING CAREER I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT (AND BY EXPERIENCE HAVE LEARNED) NOT TO RELY ON FUEL GAUGES. BUT THESE; BEING SO LOW; BOTHERED ME. I SWITCHED THE GPS TO THE 'NEAREST' PAGE; TO DISCOVER THAT OUR BEST COURSE WAS TO CONTINUE TOWARD DEST WHILE TRYING TO RESOLVE MY DOUBT AS TO WHAT MY MENTAL FUEL CALCULATIONS AND WHAT THE GAUGES WERE TELLING ME (WHERE WAS THAT RESERVE FUEL?). FUEL LOADING; FLT TIMES AND FUEL FLOWS ALL SAID I STILL HAD 1 HR OF FUEL. THE GAUGES SAID I HAD LESS THAN 12 MINS. I DECIDED TO GO WITH THE GAUGES; HEADED FOR ZZZ. I ALSO DECIDED TO USE ALL AVAILABLE FUEL FROM THE AUX TANKS; AND SWITCHED BACK TO THEM UNTIL THE R FUEL FLOW; FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT; AND ENG SURGE TOLD ME TO SWITCH BACK TO THE MAINS; WHICH I DID. WE WERE TALKING TO APCH CTL ABOUT THE SITUATION; AND THEY WERE GIVING US VECTORS AND DISTANCE TO ZZZ. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER; AND SOME 8-10 MI FROM ZZZ AT 2000 FT; THE L ENG DIED. AT THIS TIME; I DECLARED AN EMER; CONSIDERING THAT THE R ENG SHOULD ALREADY HAVE FAILED BECAUSE OF USING THE JANITROL HEATER; FED BY THE R FUEL SYS; AND CERTAINLY WE SURELY WOULD LOSE THE R ENG BEFORE WE GOT TO ZZZ. WE ALSO HAD NO SUITABLE LNDG SITES. WHILE DSNDING SLOWLY TO 1600 FT MSL; I REALIZED I HAD NOT PROPERLY SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. I IMMEDIATELY FEATHERED THE L PROP WHICH ALLOWED THE R ENG TO LEVEL US OUT AND EVEN TO CLB TO 1800 FT MSL. WE WERE COURSING STRAIGHT TO ZZZ WHEN THE COPLT; WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; TOLD ME WHERE THE RWY WAS AND HOW I WAS LINED UP. I TURNED SLIGHTLY L TO ENTER A R BASE FOR RWY 31. WHEN I SAW THE RWY I WAS ON A CLOSE-IN R BASE. I LOWERED THE GEAR; AND SHORTLY AFTER; THE FLAPS; LANDED AND ROLLED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE EDGE OF THE PARKING APRON. I REMEMBER THAT; FORSOME REASON ON THE RWY; I HAD PULLED THE R ENG MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF; AND WASN'T QUICK ENOUGH TO GET IT BACK UP BEFORE THE R ENG QUIT. SO I SIMPLY ROLLED TO A STOP ON THE TARMAC. I TRIED ONE START ON THE R ENG TO NO AVAIL. THE PAX DEPLANED AND I HAD THE AIRPLANE TOWED TO PARKING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.