But was the fuel guage serviceable

[pelmet]

The report says no faults found but was the fuel guage serviceable.....

"C-GMNQ, a Piper PA-31-350 aircraft operated by The Toronto Shuttle, was conducting a flight from Windson, ON (CYQG) to Kingston, ON (CYGK) with 8 souls on board. As fuel was being supplied to the engines from the outboard tanks, the number 1 engine began to lose power, followed by the illumination of the left fuel flow warning light. The flight crew turned on the auxiliary
fuel pumps and selected the inboard fuel tanks. The number 1 engine was shut down, an emergency was declared, and the aircraft was diverted to Hamilton, ON (CYHM). QRH procedures were followed and the aircraft landed uneventfully in CYHM with ARFF standing by.

During the subsequent inspection, it was determined that the left outboard fuel tank was empty. An engine run determined that all systems were normal with no faults found. The aircraft was returned to service and continued to destination."

[xsbank]

Gauges on a light twin are only there to make the panel look groovy. Never ever trust them, never believe them, just don’t.

Gawd, why are people making the same moronic mistakes? The only good thing is that nobody in their care was killed.

Does our useless government still send out the safety letters? If so, does nobody read them anymore?

[Donald]

Doesn't explain why the engine shut down, if the pilot selected inboards as soon as the fuel pressure started to fluctuate. Even if it shutdown, did they attempt a restart with such an obvious cause of failure? If you are flying an airplane, like the Navajo, to max endurance, you have to run the tanks dry like this.

Agreed about the gauges on light aircraft, you only know 100% for sure, when they are full or empty.

[crazyaviator]

Annually, commercial aircraft fuel gauges are required to be checked for calibration and calibrated if necessary to assure that E is actually empty. I calibrate and/or do a capacity test and calibration chart for every A/C that I have owned! Costly components for a commercial A/C or a lazy AME are no excuse for making sure the gauges are accurate! Purposely blowing a tank is to be done under the right conditions and is a no brainer

[Tailwind W10]

Does our useless government still send out the safety letters? If so, does nobody read them anymore?

XS, as far as I know TC has mainly switched over to distributing information by email. Here's the link to get updates, you can subscribe to a wide variety of information. As this appears to be their preferred way of distributing publications, I would think everyone interested should sign up for data they need or are interested in.

Sorry for the thread jack...

Gerry

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/o ... u-1152.htm

[goingnowherefast]

Blowing an outboard tank isn't a big deal, happens all the time. A bit embarrassing, but that's it.
I'm guessing that inboard was empty too? Otherwise it would have started running again immediately after they selected the inboard. They wouldn't have time to do the engine failure drill.

There's important information missing here.

[rigpiggy]

After the ASL where the numpty disparaged the Jazz guy for the temerity of having a coffe cup in his hand for the walkaround, I told them to stuff the safety letters.

[xsbank]

Sorry, fuel gauges are a make-work project for engineers. No pilot worth his sunglasses should ever rely on them, there are much better ways of ensuring that you can stay airborne. Blowing tanks is a regular occurrence but is it really necessary? I stopped doing it in a Beaver about 1979...

[xsbank]

Rigpiggy, the safety letter used to be the only way you could find out the stupid/sad/silly/moronic things that pilots did and how badly they or their passengers were damaged. Now its easier to get all that from the internet but it seems nobody is looking or reading anymore.

Stay safe! Find out what others have done and remember the stupidity/traps/issues that keep happening year after year, decade after decade...be a professional gang, you only have one job.

[confusedalot]

I guess no one calculates how much liters are required for refueling? Old and retired person, as well as other old and retired persons, used to do this as a matter of fact. Last time I flew a Navajo was 35 years ago. To the end of my humble driving career, I/we were required to calculate if the liters delivered equaled quantity displayed.....

Something is missing in this story.