What happened
The pilot was operating a flight when he encountered an unforecasted headwind that significantly affected his progress. He admitted that he did not perform any groundspeed checks to monitor the aircraft's advancement relative to his destination. Because of this lack of situational awareness regarding his fuel state, he failed to divert to an alternate airport before the situation became critical.
As fuel exhaustion became imminent, the pilot contacted the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). Controllers provided a radar vector to guide him to the nearest available airport. Despite these efforts and the assistance received from air traffic control, the airplane experienced complete fuel exhaustion before it could arrive at the designated airport.
The investigation
The primary finding of the investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making process during the flight. It was determined that the pilot did not account for the impact of the headwind on his fuel consumption rate. The failure to monitor groundspeed meant that the pilot was unaware of how quickly he was depleting his fuel reserves relative to the distance remaining.
Findings
The accident was caused by the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and monitoring. Specifically, the pilot failed to perform necessary groundspeed checks to determine the progress of the flight. This oversight prevented him from recognizing the critical nature of his fuel state in time to divert to an alternate airport before fuel exhaustion occurred.
Safety message
Pilots must continuously monitor their progress against forecasts, including wind conditions. Groundspeed checks are essential for accurate fuel management. When encountering unforeseen weather changes, pilots should proactively consider diversions well before fuel states become critical.