SC-7 SKYVAN PLT LOSES BOTH ENGS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. PLT DEAD STICKS ACFT TO A LNDG.

Narrative

I FLEW A TOTAL OF 13 LOADS OF PARACHUTE JUMPERS IN 2 SHORTS SC-7 SKYVAN ACFT. AFTER THE FIRST 3 LOADS; I SWITCHED FROM THE ORIGINAL ACFT TO ANOTHER SHORTS SC-7 SKYVAN; THE ACFT THAT WAS USED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND RESULTED IN THE FUEL STARVATION INCIDENT THAT EVENING. AFTER PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE SECOND SKYVAN; I DETERMINED THAT THE MAIN TANKS HELD APPROX 200 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK. I ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 140 GALLONS OF JET A (70 GALLONS PER SIDE); BRINGING THE FUEL LEVEL UP TO AN AMOUNT SUITABLE FOR 5 LOADS OF PARACHUTE JUMPERS. EACH LOAD TAKES APPROX .4 TO .5 HRS. I FLEW 3 LOADS OF PARACHUTISTS AND SHUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN; AT WHICH TIME I PUMPED AN ADDITIONAL 120.1 GALLONS OF JET A (60 GALLONS PER SIDE). FLT PLANNING FOR PARA-DROPS; WE PLAN TO USE 30-35 GALLONS OF FUEL PER LOAD. THE FUEL WAS PUMPED INTO THE AIRPLANE FROM THE DROP ZONE'S MAIN JET A FUEL PUMP; WHICH HAS A METER ON IT TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF GALLONS PUMPED. WHEN I STARTED THE SKYVAN FOR THE LAST 3 LOADS; 1 TWILIGHT JUMP AND 2 NIGHT JUMP LOADS; I BELIEVED I HAD ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD FOR 4 LOADS PLUS A RESERVE OF 30-40 MINS. ALL PARADROP LOADS WERE CONDUCTED WITHIN A 5 NM RADIUS OF THE ARPT. I FLEW THE TWILIGHT LOAD (.4 HRS) AND LANDED TO PICK UP THE FIRST NIGHT LOAD. AT THAT TIME; THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES INDICATED APPROX 400-450 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK. I FLEW THE FIRST OF 2 NIGHT LOADS UNEVENTFULLY AND LANDED (.5 HRS) TO PICK UP THE FINAL NIGHT JUMP LOAD. UPON LNDG; THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES INDICATED 180-200 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH MAIN TANK. I WAS CONVINCED THAT THE ACFT HELD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE LAST LOAD PLUS A RESERVE. I DEPARTED THE ARPT AND TURNED ON JUMP RUN 14 MINS LATER AT AN ALT OF 12000 FT MSL. WHILE ON THE FIRST OF 4 JUMP RUNS; THE L ENG FUEL PRESSURE FLUCTUATED AND I ACTIVATED THE FUEL XFEED FROM THE STARBOARD TANK. ABOUT 40 SECONDS LATER; THE L ENG FLAMED OUT AND QUIT. I SECURED THE PROP AND ENG AND SHUT THE XFEED OFF. I INFORMED THE JUMPERS THAT I HAD LOST AN ENG AND IT WAS TIME FOR AN EMER EXIT. I REQUESTED THAT ALL THE JUMPERS LEAVE THE ACFT ON ONE PASS AS WE FLEW OVER THE DROP ZONE. I INFORMED CTR OF THE ENG FAILURE AND THAT I WAS DROPPING JUMPERS AND RETURNING TO THE ARPT. CTR ASKED IF I NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS OVER THE ARPT AND HAD THE SITUATION UNDER CTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CLRED TO LEAVE CTR FREQ. AS THE LAST JUMPERS WERE LEAVING THE AIRPLANE; THE R ENG FUEL PRESSURE FLUCTUATED AND THE ENG FLAMED OUT. I SECURED THE R ENG AND WAS ABLE TO DEAD STICK THE ACFT TO A LNDG ON THE RWY AT THE ARPT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE JUMPERS AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. UPON LNDG; THE MAIN FUEL TANK GAUGES INDICATED THAT THERE WAS APPROX 50 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH MAIN TANK; YET BOTH ENGS HAD FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. AT THE TIME THAT I DEPARTED ON THE LAST LOAD; I WAS CONVINCED; FROM PAST EXPERIENCE AND THE AMOUNT OF FUEL I HAD PERSONALLY PUMPED INTO THE ACFT; AND CALCULATED THAT I HAD AMPLE FUEL FOR THE LAST FLT PLUS A RESERVE OF LEAST 30 MINS. I REQUESTED THAT THE MAINT DEPT CHK THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES FOR ACCURACY AND CALIBRATE THEM; AND THAT THE DROP ZONE'S MAIN JET A FUEL PUMP METER BE CHKED FOR ACCURACY REGARDING THE NUMBER OF GALLONS PUMPED.