What happened
The pilot of an air taxi operation had initially planned for six hours of night flying, carrying only a five-minute fuel reserve upon arrival at the intended destination. As the flight progressed, it became apparent that the aircraft would not be able to reach the original destination with the remaining fuel. Consequently, the pilot decided to divert toward Atmautlauk.
While maneuvering in the vicinity of Atmautlauk, the pilot activated his landing light in an effort to locate the runway. During this critical phase of flight, the aircraft exhausted its fuel supply. The loss of power resulted in a forced landing that occurred at night. The aircraft sustained damage during this emergency landing event.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the operational decisions made by the pilot regarding fuel management and navigation. Examination of the circumstances revealed that the initial flight plan allowed for an extremely limited fuel reserve at the destination. When the primary destination became unreachable, the diversion to Atmautlauk was executed. However, the timing of the fuel exhaustion coincided with the pilot's attempt to visually acquire the runway using landing lights, indicating that the fuel state was critical during the approach.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was the depletion of the fuel supply. The aircraft ran out of fuel while the pilot was actively maneuvering to find the runway at Atmautlauk. The decision to carry only a five-minute reserve at the destination, combined with the inability to reach that destination, left no margin for error during the diversion. The forced landing resulted in damage to the aircraft.
Safety message
Pilots planning night flights must ensure adequate fuel reserves are available not just for the destination, but also for potential diversions. Relying on a minimal reserve at the destination leaves little room for unexpected changes in flight plans or weather conditions.