Flight and Fuel Load
The normal fuel load for the flight was 1,500 lbs, but with a forecast tail wind and an estimated flight time of only 1 hour and 10 minutes, the crew accepted a lower indicated fuel load of 950 lbs. The flight was uneventful until the fuel quantity indication reached 250 lbs per side, after which the fuel 'seemed to dissipate faster.'
Emergency Declaration and Approach
When the indication dropped to 150 lbs on the downwind leg, the copilot recommended declaring an emergency. The captain instead asked air traffic control for the anticipated length of the downwind leg and was told 20 miles. Priority handling was requested but was only available for a declared emergency. The approach was continued with normal handling for approximately 10 minutes. At 1608:39, the crew declared an emergency and reported that the aircraft was out of fuel.
Crash Landing
The aircraft crash landed on rough terrain, short of runway 08. An examination revealed that the fuel sensors had been improperly installed, with sensors interchanged between the inboard and outboard tanks. This caused the fuel quantity gauges to indicate about 180 lbs more than the actual fuel aboard, which was approximately 763 lbs at takeoff. A special 500-hour inspection of the entire fuel system had been made on July 8, 1984, using the 'wet' method, but only the capacitance method checks each individual sensor. All 11 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.