This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
While flying for a skydive company I was on my ninth load of the day and my last flight before refueling.
The loads are roughly 20 minutes in length and we take the jumpers up to 14,000 feet.
Between each flight I have a flow that I go through every single time while passengers are loading onto the Cessna Caravan 208B. This flow always ends with checking the fuel levels to ensure there is a sufficient amount. I have a hard rule never to takeoff under 150 pounds per side on this airplane. My quantity was sitting at around 170 a side. It was a very windy day with winds at about 27 knots from the east.
The other skydive company was ahead of me and so I held at 10,000 feet for about 10 minutes while they made a few passes on their jump run. Usually we only have to hold behind each other for a couple minutes before giving our five minutes to jumpers notice, but on this day it was close to 10 minutes as the other company was hesitant to jump based on wind speeds.
I noted that the tanks looked much lower than they did on the ground and were getting close to the empty mark. While paying close attention to my fuel level now, I wasn’t too concerned as I have seen this airplane go even below the E mark numerous times with other pilots flying. The angle of climb was what I suspected the different reading from on the ground to be attributed to.
Once I got to 11,500 feet, the “fuel reservoir low” light came on. I knew this meant I had 90 seconds of fuel left and so I switched on the fuel boost switch and immediately pointed the aircraft toward the drop zone so that the jumpers could exit the plane safely. I also leveled the plane off and reduced engine power.
After about a minute and a half the engine started sputtering and sure enough we lost power. I feathered the prop and instructed the jumpers to get out of the plane. There was plenty of altitude and we were actually very close to where they normally disembark anyway.
I instructed them out early, however, because the other skydive company had dropped jumpers from 3,000 feet above me only two minutes prior. I wanted to give everyone as much space from each other and the plane as possible.
Everyone made it back to the drop zone except one jumper who landed at the beach park across the street.
I descended the airplane with the prop feathered and the engine off safely to the ground and was able to get off onto a taxiway with the plane’s own momentum.
I was at a loss as to how this could have happened as I consider myself a very cautious and safe pilot. It is on a daily basis that I get to this fuel level before refueling so I was scratching my head as to why this day was different.
I considered a misreading on the ground. I considered a gauge error. I considered the wind speeds, as well as holding behind the other company.
The plane had just come back from its 100 hour inspection a week prior, and after this event our other pilot told me he’s noticed he can only get six loads out of the plane now before having to refuel, assuming it is filled to our standard 650 pounds a side (as opposed to our pretty consistent nine loads). He also noted that fuel flow on climb is now sitting around 550 pph as opposed to what it was before at around 460 pph. I too have since noticed the change.
Maintenance has done a couple run-ups and some fuel gauge checks and cannot find anything wrong.
As the PIC I take responsibility for the incident and it has been a humbling experience.
I have been with the company for over a year now and always thought my minimums were conservative and safe. My new minimums have gone up to 200 pounds a side, and I am going to be much more aware of wind speeds, as well as if there are other airplanes flying that day.
I feel this event has made me a better pilot on a number of levels and I do not ever intend to find myself in this situation again. If there are ever any doubts on fuel level I will promptly return to the airport, or I will not take off in the first place.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2052711
I am surprised that the jump company doesn’t have a minimum fuel policy. Like all aircraft, there is the tradeoff of fuel vs passengers.
Doing some fuel calculations, having 340 lb of fuel vs 460 pph use is only 0.74 hrs of fuel. on the return to the airport will the aircraft still have the required 0.5 hrs of fuel….probably not.
The ‘new’ calculations with 400 lb of fuel and 640 pph are about the same.
So, add more fuel or take fewer passengers, [at about 200 lb with their gear ]
‘new’ calc,…oops, 400 lb and 550 pph….
I did a stupid thing once. I usually get fuel at an airport only 15 miles from my airport because it’s much cheaper. It was a clear, cool day with no traffic. Fuel gauges were near empty and maybe a couple of gallons on the dipstick each side. Probably at or less than 30 minutes. After half way I got extremely nervous because the gauges showed empty…no turning back now. Landed without an issue but I won’t ever do that again.
Jack, go back to grammar school or don’t drink and post, whichever is appropriate .
First comment is hardly in the spirit of “I learned about flying from that.” We all screw up, whether we write an article about it or not.
He should only fly solo let, let alone with a number of passengers. He should be districted to only unpopulated areas to fly. Actually with what he had to say, and how he said it, he should stay on the ground.
That’s a thoughtless but expected comment.
Hmmmm. Mag timing on a turbine engine? Yeah, that has to be the problem.
Sounds like mag timing was changed during the last 100 hr inspection.
Amazing. He should do a webinar on his technique for landing without power. Maybe he’s related to Bob Hoover.
Almost all my landings are with engine power at idle. Everyone should practice the technique and practice it often.
Yeah – but he was really high and in a heavier airplane and still made it to the taxiway like in a Bob Hoover show, something very different than using power to the abeam point at pattern altitude.
Commercial Pilot very familiar with the CPL 180 degree Engine out precision landing (SEL)?
You gotta get it right on the check ride, or it is a failure.
More importantly, kudos to this pilot for working it out and setting higher standards to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
It’s actually the same standard, just higher numbers.
400 lb of fuel is only 61 gallons.
Spec cruise data is 66 gph at cruise power…?
climbing at 640 pph[ 98 gph], and then descend at idle [ ?? 30 gph ??]…how much is remaining ?