Narrative:

We departed ilg (greater wilmington de) with 2.1 hours burned from our fuel tanks. The fuel was burned from the previous trip cgf to ilg, and this date was our return flight. Our fuel gauges appeared normal. Preflight was complete and normal. The trip should only take 1.9 hours with wind. Departure and 3/4's of the enroute phase was normal. However we noticed the fuel gauge for the right side was indicating unusually low. We crosschecked the other instruments but everything appeared normal. We thought the fuel indicator might be going bad. As it prematurely reached empty we crossed for a while from the left tanks. When we were within 10 miles to the airport we continued to burn from the right side; we were VFR and cleared to land runway 23. We were descending out of 4000 within approximately 3 miles our right engine began to sputter and then stop completely. Tower was notified immediately and considering an aircraft was ahead on short final I declared an emergency. The other aircraft executed a go around. We landed without an incident. When the aircraft was refueled the mechanics found a drain valve on the right side was partially open and clogged draining fuel on the ramp. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the valve was shut during preflight and was still in the closed position after landing but was leaking fuel in the closed position. Flight crew concluded they were losing fuel from the other tank while cross feeding. That was reason returned tank to engine and ran right engine off of own tank until it was empty and quit. Mechanics found foreign material in valve. Both valves were replaced and company has replaced valves on other aircraft of same model.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP SMT FUEL LEAK IN FLT CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ILG (GREATER WILMINGTON DE) WITH 2.1 HOURS BURNED FROM OUR FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL WAS BURNED FROM THE PREVIOUS TRIP CGF TO ILG, AND THIS DATE WAS OUR RETURN FLT. OUR FUEL GAUGES APPEARED NORMAL. PREFLT WAS COMPLETE AND NORMAL. THE TRIP SHOULD ONLY TAKE 1.9 HOURS WITH WIND. DEP AND 3/4'S OF THE ENROUTE PHASE WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER WE NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE FOR THE RIGHT SIDE WAS INDICATING UNUSUALLY LOW. WE XCHKED THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS BUT EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. WE THOUGHT THE FUEL INDICATOR MIGHT BE GOING BAD. AS IT PREMATURELY REACHED EMPTY WE CROSSED FOR A WHILE FROM THE LEFT TANKS. WHEN WE WERE WITHIN 10 MILES TO THE ARPT WE CONTINUED TO BURN FROM THE RIGHT SIDE; WE WERE VFR AND CLRED TO LAND RWY 23. WE WERE DESCENDING OUT OF 4000 WITHIN APPROX 3 MILES OUR RIGHT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND THEN STOP COMPLETELY. TWR WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AND CONSIDERING AN ACFT WAS AHEAD ON SHORT FINAL I DECLARED AN EMER. THE OTHER ACFT EXECUTED A GO AROUND. WE LANDED WITHOUT AN INCIDENT. WHEN THE ACFT WAS REFUELED THE MECHANICS FOUND A DRAIN VALVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS PARTIALLY OPEN AND CLOGGED DRAINING FUEL ON THE RAMP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE VALVE WAS SHUT DURING PREFLT AND WAS STILL IN THE CLOSED POSITION AFTER LNDG BUT WAS LEAKING FUEL IN THE CLOSED POSITION. FLT CREW CONCLUDED THEY WERE LOSING FUEL FROM THE OTHER TANK WHILE CROSS FEEDING. THAT WAS REASON RETURNED TANK TO ENGINE AND RAN RIGHT ENGINE OFF OF OWN TANK UNTIL IT WAS EMPTY AND QUIT. MECHANICS FOUND FOREIGN MATERIAL IN VALVE. BOTH VALVES WERE REPLACED AND COMPANY HAS REPLACED VALVES ON OTHER ACFT OF SAME MODEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.