PA31-350 ACFT ON REGULAR SCHEDULE PAX CARGO FLT LANDED WITH LESS THAN RESERVE FUEL DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEADWINDS. RPTR PLT ADDS CONTRIBUTORY REASONS FOR FUEL PLANNING ERROR WAS INCREASED PWR SETTINGS AT LNDG TKOF AT SOFT RWY CONDITIONS (DIRT); HVY ACFT LOADS; UNFAMILIARITY WITH AREA SCHEDULED TO FLY AND EMOTIONAL STATE DUE TO NEWS OF A GOOD FRIEND BEING KILLED THE NIGHT BEFORE IN AN ACFT ACCIDENT.

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THIS IS A DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF A SCHEDULED FLT IN ALASKA FLYING A NAVAJO PA31-350 ON A RETURN LEG FROM UNALAKLEET-STEBBINS-NOME ON APR/FRI/97. ENRTE FROM THE STEBBINS ARPT TO THE NOME ARPT I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE ABNORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS SUCH THAT MY REMAINING FUEL MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO CONTINUE THE FLT ON TO NOME. PRIOR TO FLT; FUEL WAS FIGURED AND FOUND THROUGH COMPUTATION TO BE SUFFICIENT AND WITHIN REGULATORY LIMITS. HOWEVER; DURING FLT ENRTE TO NOME THE VISUAL INDICATIONS ON THE FUEL GAUGES PROVED OTHERWISE. AFTER MUCH CONSIDERATION; A DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE ON TO NOME; THE FLT ENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER THE FLT THE FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM ALL 4 TANKS OF THE ACFT AND FOUND TO HOLD FAR LESS THAN THE FUEL FACTORED FOR RESERVE FLT. I BELIEVE THAT THE EXCESSIVE AND ABNORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION DURING THIS FLT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: HEADWINDS ENCOUNTERED ENRTE TO NOME; NEWLY INSTALLED ENGS ON THE ACFT; VERY SOFT RWY CONDITIONS (DIRT STRIPS AND TXWYS) THROUGHOUT THE 6 SCHEDULED STOPS; REQUIRING INCREASED PWR SETTINGS FOR TAXI OPS WITH HVY LOADS IN THE ACFT; AND; UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA IN WHICH I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY. EMOTIONAL STRESS MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN A FACTOR. I RECEIVED WORD THAT MORNING INFORMING ME THAT A GOOD FRIEND HAD BEEN KILLED THE NIGHT BEFORE IN AN AIRPLANE ACCIDENT.