UNEXPLAINED FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION PROBS ARE THE RESULT OF A MISSING FUEL CAP. ENTRY INTO A CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LNDG WITHOUT CONTACT WITH TWR ARE INCLUDED IN THE DAY'S PROBS.

Date: 2002-02 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-fuel-loss

Synopsis

UNEXPLAINED FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION PROBS ARE THE RESULT OF A MISSING FUEL CAP. ENTRY INTO A CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LNDG WITHOUT CONTACT WITH TWR ARE INCLUDED IN THE DAY'S PROBS.

Narrative

THIS EVENT AROSE FROM A FAILURE TO IDENT THE ATC COM FREQ TO OBTAIN CLRNC INTO GLH CTL ZONE AT GREENVILLE; MS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) INFLT LOSS OF L FUEL TANK FILLER CAP RESULTING IN SIPHONING FUEL. 2) POSSIBLE FUEL EXHAUSTION -- PLT WORKLOAD IN APCH/DSCNT LNDG PHASE. 3) PARTIAL OBSCURING OF FACILITY FREQ ON CHART. 4) FAILURE TO FOLLOW MY NORMAL PROC OF LISTING ATC FREQS ANTICIPATED FO THE FLT ON MY TRIP LOG SHEET DURING FLT PLANNING 5) FAILURE TO CONTACT FSS TO ADVISE OF FUEL CONCERNS; REQUEST INFO; ASSISTANCE AND/OR DECLARE EMER. FUEL GAUGES WERE BEHAVING ABNORMALLY. I INITIALLY DISCOUNTED IT; ATTRIBUTING IT TO 'THOSE UNRELIABLE CESSNA FUEL GAUGES.' I DID CHK THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS PHYSICALLY IN THE 'BOTH' TANKS DETENT. SOME FEW MINS LATER; I OBSERVED THAT THE R TANK GAUGE WAS INDICATING 'FULL' AND THE L TANK GAUGE WAS INDICATING 'EMPTY.' I HAD PERSONALLY VISUALLY CHKED AND DIPSTICKED BOTH TANKS DURING PREFLT INSPECTION; CONFIRMING THAT I HAD 69 GALLONS ABOARD (OVER 5 HRS TO FUEL EXHAUSTION) FOR A PLANNED FLT OF 2 HRS. I REPLACED AND SECURED THE FUEL CAPS. I NOW FELT FORCED TO CONCLUDE THAT A FUEL CAP MUST BE MISSING; SIPHONING FUEL FROM ONE (OR BOTH!) TANKS(S). ABOUT 20 NM FROM MY INTENDED DEST (GLH); I REDUCED PWR; SLOWED THE ACFT TO APCH SPD; AND BEGAN A GENTLE DSCNT TOWARDS GLH; HOPING TO CONSERVE THE FUEL REMAINING TO TOUCHDOWN. I LOOKED AT THE SECTIONAL CHART FOR THE FACILITY'S COM FREQ AND SAW ONLY UNICOM 122.95 WHICH I CALLED TWICE WITHOUT RESPONSE. AS I NEARED THE ARPT VICINITY; ASSUMING THE CTL ZONE WAS NOT ACTIVE; I SEARCHED FOR ANY ACFT IN THE PATTERN OR TAXIING -- SEEING NONE. I MONITORED UNICOM FOR TFC ANNOUNCEMENTS. NOT SEEING OR HEARING ANY TFC; I CHOSE RWY 36R SINCE IT WAS CLOSEST. I LANDED ON RWY 36R; TAXIED IN AND PARKED AT THE FBO. I INSPECTED THE ACFT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE L FUEL TANK FILLER CAP WAS MISSING. DIPSTICKING THE TANKS; I FOUND LESS THAN 5 GALLONS IN THE L TANK AND APPROX 12 GALLONS IN THE R TANK. AFTER DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT BY TELEPHONE WITH CTL TWR PERSONNEL; I MENTALLY REVIEWED THE EVENTS OF THE FLT AND NOW KNOW THAT THE CTL TWR WAS IN OP. I FOUND THAT IN PLANNING THE TRIP I HAD DRAWN MY NEXT LEG COURSE DIRECTLY OVER THE CTL TWR FREQ; PARTIALLY OBSCURING IT. I HAVE RESOLVED TO: 1) PAY EXTRA ATTN TO ASSURING FUEL AND OIL CAP SECURITY PRIOR TO ANY FLT. 2) ALWAYS PREPARE A LIST OF COM FREQS. 3) NOTIFY FSS IMMEDIATELY UPON DISCOVERING ANY INFLT ACFT DISCREPANCY OR PROBS. 4) NEVER DRAW COURSE LINES THROUGH/OVER ARPT; NAV OR COMS FREQ INFO. 5) RELATE THIS EXPERIENCE PUBLICLY AT THE NEXT FLT SAFETY MEETINGS THAT I ATTEND.

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