Schweizer 300C helicopter pilot has low fuel warning lights.

Attributes
ACN	717148
Time
Date	200611
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	717148
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : low fuel lights other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I had dispatched another instructor's student on a solo flight at home airport. Student was told she had 26 gals and was reminded of fuel burn rate between 10-12 gph. 2 hours 20 mins past departure time; student called the tower to state that she was 5 mi out inbound for landing. The student landed on taxiway B; did some hover work and the requested to taxi to the helicopter pads for some more hover work. She was granted permission to do so. The student then hovered at the helicopter pad for a few mins before requesting permission to cross the active runway and taxi to parking. She was told to hold for traffic. Approximately 2 mins later I heard the student call the tower once again requesting permission to taxi and was once again told to hold. Approximately 30 seconds later the student then called the tower and notified them that she had a low fuel light on. She then called the tower and asked to taxi to taxiway B to request fuel (approximately 75 yards). After fueling and taxiing back to parking hobbs time logged was 2.7 hours even though there was only at most 2.5 hours of fuel on board. Student stated she misjudged fuel/flight time. When asked why she continued flight (hovering to taxiway B) after the low fuel light came on she said 'I set the clock knowing I had 5 mins of fuel left.' clearly said student never fully appreciated her training related to aircraft fuel gauge errors; fuel planning; and emergency procedures. Said student had just had remedial training related to all areas associated with emergencys including low fuel. Unfortunately this student like most base their fuel decisions on their experiences with car fuel gauges and believe all fuel gauges to be accurate even when told otherwise. As far as I can tell the regulations only require that fuel gauges/low fuel warning lights only be accurate at minimum fuel. I have flown between 50-60 different aircraft and have consistently noted that a majority of fuel gauges appear to be accurate when full or empty and have no relevance to reality.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SCHWEIZER 300C HELI PLT HAS LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHTS.

Narrative: I HAD DISPATCHED ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR'S STUDENT ON A SOLO FLT AT HOME ARPT. STUDENT WAS TOLD SHE HAD 26 GALS AND WAS REMINDED OF FUEL BURN RATE BTWN 10-12 GPH. 2 HRS 20 MINS PAST DEP TIME; STUDENT CALLED THE TWR TO STATE THAT SHE WAS 5 MI OUT INBOUND FOR LNDG. THE STUDENT LANDED ON TXWY B; DID SOME HOVER WORK AND THE REQUESTED TO TAXI TO THE HELI PADS FOR SOME MORE HOVER WORK. SHE WAS GRANTED PERMISSION TO DO SO. THE STUDENT THEN HOVERED AT THE HELI PAD FOR A FEW MINS BEFORE REQUESTING PERMISSION TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY AND TAXI TO PARKING. SHE WAS TOLD TO HOLD FOR TFC. APPROX 2 MINS LATER I HEARD THE STUDENT CALL THE TWR ONCE AGAIN REQUESTING PERMISSION TO TAXI AND WAS ONCE AGAIN TOLD TO HOLD. APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER THE STUDENT THEN CALLED THE TWR AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT SHE HAD A LOW FUEL LIGHT ON. SHE THEN CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED TO TAXI TO TXWY B TO REQUEST FUEL (APPROX 75 YARDS). AFTER FUELING AND TAXIING BACK TO PARKING HOBBS TIME LOGGED WAS 2.7 HRS EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ONLY AT MOST 2.5 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. STUDENT STATED SHE MISJUDGED FUEL/FLT TIME. WHEN ASKED WHY SHE CONTINUED FLT (HOVERING TO TXWY B) AFTER THE LOW FUEL LIGHT CAME ON SHE SAID 'I SET THE CLOCK KNOWING I HAD 5 MINS OF FUEL LEFT.' CLRLY SAID STUDENT NEVER FULLY APPRECIATED HER TRAINING RELATED TO ACFT FUEL GAUGE ERRORS; FUEL PLANNING; AND EMER PROCS. SAID STUDENT HAD JUST HAD REMEDIAL TRAINING RELATED TO ALL AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH EMERS INCLUDING LOW FUEL. UNFORTUNATELY THIS STUDENT LIKE MOST BASE THEIR FUEL DECISIONS ON THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH CAR FUEL GAUGES AND BELIEVE ALL FUEL GAUGES TO BE ACCURATE EVEN WHEN TOLD OTHERWISE. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THE REGS ONLY REQUIRE THAT FUEL GAUGES/LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHTS ONLY BE ACCURATE AT MINIMUM FUEL. I HAVE FLOWN BTWN 50-60 DIFFERENT ACFT AND HAVE CONSISTENTLY NOTED THAT A MAJORITY OF FUEL GAUGES APPEAR TO BE ACCURATE WHEN FULL OR EMPTY AND HAVE NO RELEVANCE TO REALITY.

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.