A CE560 FRACTIONAL CREW REPORTED FATIGUE AS A FACTOR IN THEIR OVERSIGHT OF DEP FUEL REQUIREMENTS. FLT CREW DEPARTED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FUEL; DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED SHORT OF THEIR DEST.

Date: 2005-04 · Aircraft: Citation Excel (C560XL)

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-flt-crew-fatigue|other-low-fuel-state

Synopsis

A CE560 FRACTIONAL CREW REPORTED FATIGUE AS A FACTOR IN THEIR OVERSIGHT OF DEP FUEL REQUIREMENTS. FLT CREW DEPARTED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FUEL; DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED SHORT OF THEIR DEST.

Narrative

ON A FERRY FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. AT ZZZ1 FBO; FUEL LOAD WAS REQUESTED TO BRING TOTAL ON BOARD TO 4000 LBS. SIGNED FUEL RECEIPT PAYING FOR FUEL. CREW WAS UNDER TIME CONSTRAINTS TO MAKE OR MEET SCHEDULE. PIC MISSED FUEL QUANTITY CHECK ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. DEPARTED VFR WITH BUSY LOCAL TFC; RECEIVED IFR CLRNC IN FLT. ON DSCNT INTO ZZZ2 ON ARR; FUEL LOW LEVEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED; ALERTING CREW TO 800 LBS REMAINING ONBOARD. FUEL DISCREPANCY WAS REALIZED. CREW DECLARED EMER AND DIVERTED TO ZZZ3. THE EMER CHKLIST WAS EXECUTED AND THE FLT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER ASSISTANCE AT ZZZ3. I BELIEVE THIS PROB WAS CAUSED FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. FIRST WAS CREW FATIGUE. THIS WAS DAY SEVEN OF A SEVEN DAY TRIP. TOTAL DUTY UP UNTIL THIS POINT WAS 73 HOURS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 84 HOURS. THIS TRIP SEQUENCE HAD SOME VERY LONG DAYS WITH A VERY SHORT REST TIME. AS LITTLE AS 10 HOURS ON TWO OF THE DAYS. SECOND CAUSE WAS POSITION OF FUEL QUANTITY CHECK ON THE CHKLIST. THIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. BEFORE THE ACFT IS MOVING. GIVING BOTH PLTS A CHANCE TO VERIFY FUEL ONBOARD. THIRD CAUSE WAS DEMANDS TO MAKE SCHEDULE WITH PERCEIVED REPERCUSSIONS BY THE CREW FROM THE COMPANY. EARLY IN THE WEEK; THE CREW WAS QUESTIONED BY THE COMPANY FOR A ONE MINUTE DELAY. PLTS BEING DISCIPLINED FOR FAILURE TO MEET SCHEDULE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 656172: THE FOLLOWING TABLE REFLECTS START TIME AND DUTY TIMES FOR THE TOUR. 4/SUN/05; XA:00-XI:12; 9 HOURS 12 MINS. 4/MON/05; XZ:00-XL:00; 13 HOURS. 4/TUE/05; XY:00-XL:00; 14 HOURS. 4/WED/05; XE:00-X3:06; 10 HOURS; 6 MINS. 4/THU/05; XX:00-XT:34; 12 HOURS; 34 MINS. 4/FRI/05; XW:00-XH:54; 12 HOURS 54 MINS. 4/SAT/05; XY:54. THIS HAPPENED ON THE 7TH DAY OF EARLY DUTY STARTS ON MY BIOLOGICAL CLOCK AND FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. WE HAD A PROB WITH THE FUEL BILL AND HAD TO GET IT RE-DONE. WHEN WE GOT TO THE ACFT; WE WERE DISTRACTED BY AN INABILITY TO CONTACT ATC FOR OUR CLRNC. BEING IN A HURRY; I MISREAD THE FUEL GAUGES. WE WERE ALSO PRE-OCCUPIED WITH DISCUSSING HOW TO SAFELY GET OUR CLRNC AIRBORNE. ALTHOUGH OUR DUTY TIMES FELL WITHIN LEGAL LIMITS; THE LONG DAYS AND EARLY STARTS CONTRIBUTED TO FATIGUE. I LET THIS CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT AND I VIOLATED MY OWN NUMBER ONE RULE OF SAFETY; 'DO NOT RUSH.'

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