TOUR FLT OF C207T HAS FUEL TANK RUN DRY BUT WITH ENOUGH IN OTHER TANK TO MAKE IT TO AN ARPT. COMPANY PROCS FOR REFUELING ACFT WERE NOT FOLLOWED PRIOR TO FLT.

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THIS RPT WILL DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AND SHED SOME LIGHT AS TO WHY THE R TANK OF A CESSNA TURBO 207 WAS NOT PROPERLY FUELED PRIOR TO FLT AND CONSEQUENTLY RAN DRY INFLT. I WORK FOR A TOUR OPERATOR. THE RTE WE FLY REQUIRES THAT WE CARRY FULL R TANK FUEL (36.5 GALS USEABLE) AND 20 GALS IN THE L TANK. 23 GALS OF FUEL IS GENERALLY BURNED ON THE TOUR. ON JUN/MON/97; I PREFLTED A CESSNA TURBO 207 INSIDE THE HANGAR. THE PLANE WAS BEHIND TWO OTHER ACFT. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PLT WHO LAST FLEW THE ACFT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ACFT IS EITHER FUELED OR PLACED ON THE 'TO BE FUELED LIST.' I COMMENTED TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT PROPERLY FILLED. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE MECHS DID NOT WANT THE ACFT FILLED BEFORE MAINT; IT WAS NOT FILLED. AFTER THE MECH FLEW THE ACFT; IT WAS NOT FILLED NOR WAS IT PLACED ON THE 'TO BE FILLED BOARD.' THE ACFT WAS NOT USED FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS. AFTER PREFLTING THE ACFT; I HELPED PULL ALL OF THE ACFT NEEDED FOR THE TOUR OUT OF THE HANGAR. FINISHING THAT; I WENT INSIDE THE BUILDING TO GET MY PAX; WALK THEM TO THE PLANE; AND LOAD THEM. I STARTED THE ENG; CHKED THE OIL GAUGES; TACHOMETER; AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE GAUGES. I DO NOT REMEMBER CHKING THE FUEL GAUGES. I TAXIED TO RWY 27L DID MY RUN-UP; OIL GOOD; PROP GOOD; MAGNETOS GOOD; EVERYTHING GOOD. I DO NOT REMEMBER CHKING MY FUEL GAUGES. I DEPARTED RWY 27L TO THE E WITHOUT PROBS. ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE FLT; THE ENG LOST PWR. I HAD BEEN MONITORING ALL ENG INSTS THROUGHOUT THE FLT (STANDARD PROC FOR ME). I DO NOT REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE FUEL GAUGES (NORMALLY I NOTICE THEM BUT PAY LITTLE ATTN TO THEM BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT FUEL GAUGES ARE INACCURATE AND TO USE MY WATCH SINCE HR ONE). AS SOON AS THE ENG STARTED TO LOSE PWR; I SWITCHED TANKS; TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP FOR ABOUT 1 OR 2 SECONDS; PITCHED FOR 80 KIAS (VG). THE ENG CAME BACK TO LIFE. NO PWR SURGES OCCURRED. I BROUGHT MANIFOLD PRESSURE UP TO 29 INCHES AND INITIATED A CLB. MORE ALT; MORE OPTIONS. I CALLED THE ASSISTANT CHIEF; WHO WAS IN ANOTHER ACFT IN MY VICINITY GIVING THE SAME TOUR; AND TOLD HIM THAT MY ENG HAD LOST PWR; AND THAT I HAD IT RUNNING AGAIN. I LOOKED AT THE R FUEL GAUGE. IT WAS SHOWING EMPTY. THE L WAS SHOWING 20 GALS. I HAD STUCK THIS TANK DURING MY PREFLT. THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT SAID TO LAND AT POINT A (ABOUT 4 MI AWAY) THEN ASKED IF I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE IT TO POINT B (ABOUT 10 MI AWAY). I WATCHED THE FUEL GAUGE FOR ABOUT A MIN TO SEE IF IT WAS DROPPING RAPIDLY; IT WAS NOT. I REPLIED THAT I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE IT TO POINT B. I MADE A SAFE LNDG AT POINT B. 45 MINS OF FUEL WAS STILL ONBOARD UPON LNDG AT POINT B. CONTINUING TO MY DEST WOULD HAVE LEFT ME WITH 30 MINS OF FUEL ONBOARD. I DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL ANOTHER OF OUR PERSONNEL ASKED THAT I HAD NOT FILLED THE R TANK. THIS CAUSED ME TO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE FUEL SYS. I THOUGHT THAT THE ACFT WAS BURNING MORE FUEL THAN THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE WAS INDICATING. FROM THE POINT WHERE THE PROB OCCURRED TO POINT B; I RAN THE ENG AT 17 GPH INSTEAD OF THE 20 GPH THAT THE COMPANY WANTS US TO RUN AT. I FELT THAT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE POINT B. TO ENSURE THAT I MADE IT; I CLBED TO 6500 FT AGL; TO MAKE IT TO EITHER POINT A OR B. POINT B WAS A BETTER PLACE TO LAND BECAUSE IT HAD A PAVED RWY; AND EMER EQUIP AVAILABLE. FACTORS THAT LENT TO MY FORGETTING TO FILL THE R TANK INCLUDED: I HELPED PULL OTHER ACFT AND MY OWN FROM THE HANGAR. I HAD A COLD. MY PAX WERE ARRIVING. THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO ALREADY HAVE FUEL. THE COMPANY HAS SAID IT WILL IMPLEMENT A NEW POLICY REQUIRING ACFT THAT NEED FUEL TO HAVE A RED FLAG HUNG FROM ITS WING TIE DOWN. THIS WAS SUGGESTED BY A FELLOW PLT ABOUT 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT; BUT WAS KILLED BY MORE SENIOR PLTS OPINIONS THAT WE HAD NOT DONE THIS BEFORE; AND DID NOT NEED TO START NOW. THE BLOOD PRINCIPLE.