Fuel Exhaustion Incident Near Nome, Alaska (N7678L)

Incident Overview and Emergency Declaration A flight carrying nine passengers was approaching its destination when the pilot declared an emergency due to impending fuel exhaustion. As the aircraft neared the coastline of the Bering Sea near Nome, Alaska, the pilot reported that both engines had stopped. The pilot was able to glide the airplane to shore, where it landed wheels-up on ice and snow-covered terrain. The pilot had intended to refuel at Nome before proceeding to St. Michael, but became concerned about reaching the destination due to low fuel levels. The pilot noted in a report to the NTSB that the airplane was very low on fuel and that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the aircraft. Postaccident inspection of the airplane confirmed that there were no preexisting mechanical abnormalities. Fuel drained from the wing fuel tanks yielded a total of approximately 5 ounces. The airplane's Hobb's meter indicated that 4.2 hours had elapsed from the beginning of the flight until fuel exhaustion. The pilot stated that he believed he had 4.5 hours of fuel aboard when the flight began.