PA31 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS; DECLARED AN EMER; AND LANDED AT AN ARPT JUST AHEAD; WITH #1 ENG FEATHERED.

Date: 2003-08 · Aircraft: PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

PA31 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS; DECLARED AN EMER; AND LANDED AT AN ARPT JUST AHEAD; WITH #1 ENG FEATHERED.

Narrative

MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE; BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I GOT LAZY AND MADE A BAD DECISION. I WAS NEAR THE END OF A TRIP THAT INCLUDED MANY LEGS AND REQUIRED A FUEL PURCHASE. I KNEW THAT MY FUEL WAS GOING TO BE TIGHT; BUT I HONESTLY THOUGHT I WOULD LAND WITH THE REQUIRED RESERVE. AS I WAS BEING VECTORED AND DSNDING FOR THE ARPT; MY L ENG BEGAN TO SURGE AND THE FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I WAS LESS THAN 5 MINS FROM LNDG. I DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT ANOTHER ARPT THAT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. THE L ENG HAD QUIT BY THE TIME I LANDED. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED: 1) SOMEONE ELSE DID THE FLT PLANNING (FUEL CALCULATIONS) BEFORE I LEFT BECAUSE IT WAS A LAST MIN FLT. THEREFORE; I WASN'T AS FAMILIAR WITH THE REQUIRED FUEL AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. 2) I GOT LAZY WITH MY LEANING PROCS; USING PREVIOUS SETTINGS OR NOT LEANING AT ALL FOR A FEW SHORT LEGS. 3) I BELIEVED THE FUEL GAUGES; WHICH INDICATED I HAD MUCH MORE FUEL THAN I ACTUALLY DID. 4) AT MY LAST STOP; I ASKED THE FBO FOR SOME FUEL (COMFORT FUEL) BUT THEIR TRUCK WAS OTS. SO INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THE HASSLE OF TAXIING TO ANOTHER FBO; I MADE SOME QUICK MENTAL CALCULATIONS AND DECIDED TO GO WITH WHAT I HAD (GET THEREITIS). 5) I HAD THIS MENTALITY THAT; 'I'VE NEVER RUN OUT OF FUEL BEFORE; SO WHY WOULD I RUN OUT NOW?' NEVER AGAIN!

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