Joseph T. Nall Report - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Joseph T. Nall Report - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Joseph T. Nall Report - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
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Accident<br />
O<br />
Factors<br />
T H E R<br />
Percent<br />
9<br />
6<br />
3<br />
0<br />
Fuel Mismanagement Accidents<br />
5.9% 6.1%<br />
4.6%<br />
1996<br />
1997<br />
1998<br />
8.5%<br />
1999<br />
FUEL MISMANAGEMENT 66 TOTAL/5 FATAL<br />
Fuel exhaustion is engine stoppage due to the<br />
depletion of all available fuel on board the airplane.<br />
Fuel starvation is engine stoppage due to an<br />
interruption of the fuel supply to the engine, even<br />
though fuel remains available in one or more of the<br />
fuel tanks in the aircraft. In 1999, there were 51<br />
accidents caused by fuel exhaustion, of which four<br />
were fatal, resulting in seven deaths. Another 13<br />
accidents occurred because of fuel starvation.<br />
None of these accidents were fatal. Another two<br />
accidents were attributed to fuel contamination, a<br />
condition that also contributed to some of the fuel<br />
starvation accidents. One of these accidents was<br />
fatal, with one fatality. The AOPA Air Safety<br />
Foundation recommends a minimum fuel reserve of<br />
at least one hour for both VFR <strong>and</strong> IFR operations.<br />
Knowledge of aircraft performance, realistic<br />
preflight fuel planning, <strong>and</strong> diligent monitoring of<br />
fuel consumption would prevent nearly all fuel<br />
exhaustion accidents. A thorough knowledge of<br />
aircraft systems <strong>and</strong> a disciplined approach to fuel<br />
management are antidotes to most fuel starvation<br />
problems.<br />
24
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