GA SMA PLT DECLARES MIN FUEL ON DSCNT INTO CRW AND IS MET BY FAA INSPECTORS WHO QUESTION HIM ABOUT THE REQUIRED 45 MIN RESERVE.
Synopsis
GA SMA PLT DECLARES MIN FUEL ON DSCNT INTO CRW AND IS MET BY FAA INSPECTORS WHO QUESTION HIM ABOUT THE REQUIRED 45 MIN RESERVE.
Narrative
WHILE TALKING TO YEAGER TWR ON A VISUAL APCH I WAS VECTORED OFF COURSE FOR SEQUENCING. WHILE GOING THROUGH LNDG CHKS; I FOUND THAT THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED MIN FUEL. I TOLD THE TWR I WAS 'MIN FUEL STATUS'; BUT NOT DECLARING AN EMER. I WAS MET ON THE RAMP BY THE FAA FOR QUESTIONING. IT WAS FOUND I HAD ONLY 2.1 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL LEFT IN THE TANKS OF THE ACFT. THE 2 FAA INSPECTORS QUESTIONED MY REQUIRED 45 MIN RESERVE. I PLANNED FOR THE REQUIRED RESERVES BEFORE I LEFT FROM LITTLE ROCK; AR. I FELL SHORT BY APPROX 9 GALLONS UPON LNDG. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE IN PART TO FUEL BURN BEING DIFFERENT THAN PUBLISHED; A WARM UP AND RUNUP THAT WAS MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL; AND UNFORECAST WINDS AND COURSE DEVS. (FIRST TIME I HAD FLOWN THE PLANE.) ALTHOUGH I FELT AT MY LAST CHK POINT I HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO MY DEST; I SHOULD HAVE MADE AN EARLY FUEL STOP TO CHK FUEL BURN. I KNOW NOW I WAS NOT NEARLY CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH IN A PLANE I HAD NEVER FLOWN BEFORE; BUT THE GOOD WX MADE ME OVER CONFIDENT. THE THOUGHT OF MAKING AN EXTRA FUEL STOP WOULD MAKE MY NEXT LEG MOSTLY A NIGHT FLT; WHICH MADE ME PLAN TOO TIGHT; ALTHOUGH STILL LEGAL.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.