AN INSTRUCTOR PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL IN HIS SMA AND LANDED SAFELY ON AN ARPT.

1993-04 · NASA ASRS report 240249

Date: 1993-04 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AN INSTRUCTOR PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL IN HIS SMA AND LANDED SAFELY ON AN ARPT.

Narrative

WE CAME BACK AFTER FLYING FOR 2.9 HRS AND THE ENG QUIT AT 1200 FT; ABOUT 4 MI FROM THE ARPT. I GLIDED STRAIGHT IN TO W28 (POTOMAC) ARPT AND LANDED SAFELY. ANOTHER PLANE JUST LANDED THE OTHER WAY AND WAS JUST OFF THE RWY WHEN I TOUCHED DOWN (NOBODY WAS HURT). I DID CHK THE FUEL WHICH WAS RIGHT ON THE MARK FROM THE DIPSTICK. THIS AIRPLANE HAS LONG RANGE TANKS SO IT WILL BE TOO HVY WITH FULL TANKS AND CAN ONLY BE FILLED UP TO THE MARK WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PLACED AT 'STANDARD TANKS' (22.5 GALLONS) AND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME 4 HRS OF FLT. I PRACTICE DEAD STICK LNDGS WITH STUDENTS ALL THE TIME AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE ACFT HAS LONG RANGE FUEL TANKS; BUT AT THE TIME HAD A FUEL DIPSTICK THAT WAS FOR AN ACFT WITH NORMAL FUEL TANKS. THE RPTR CHKED THE FUEL LEVEL USING THE WRONG DIPSTICK. THIS INDICATED THAT HE HAD 4 HRS OF FUEL; NOT THE LESS THAN 3 HRS THAT WERE ACTUALLY ON BOARD. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT THE COMPETITION WILL FIND OUT ABOUT THIS SIT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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