On Thursday, 06/15/06 I filled up my tanks with 41.5 gallons of fuel. I have 43 gallon tanks! I had no idea that the fuel was so low. By my VM800 fuel flow meter, I should have had 6.5 gallons remaining. The fuel gauges kind of agreed, like fuel gauges usually do. Why did I only have 1.5 gallons left?

On my prior flight, Monday, 06/12/06, I had just taken my BFR and near the end of the BFR the low fuel warning came on meaning that I had 10 gallons of fuel remaining. I flew home using about 3.5 gallons. I decided not to fly over a friends house because I didn't have a lot of fuel. Good decision!

What could have possible gone wrong? Whenever I fuel the plane, I verify that the VM800 is within 1 or 2 tens of a gallon of the pump reading. Did it just break? I try to plan my flights to land with between 8 and 10 gallons of fuel. On the next flight, this allows me to fill the header tank and put as much extra fuel in the wing tanks as is necessary and also know exactly how much fuel is on board.

It dawned on me a couple of days later, just what had happened. I had a prop overspeed in Paducah, KY on Sunday, 03/19/06 on my way to survey a boat that I was looking at in Houston, Tx. I left the plane in Paducah for 4 weeks until Monday, 04/10/06. I then flew the plane home and only flew one short flight until I took my BFR on 06/12/06. Could the fuel have evaporated? Did the fuel flow not work below 1,800 RPM like the VM engine hour meter? The answer, I believe, is simpler then that. I don't know how many of you noticed that I had exactly 5 gallons less fuel than I thought that I had. The 5 gallons that I am missing is just exactly the amount that would have gone into a 5 gallon fuel can. I believe that someone helped themselves to a 5 gallon can of fuel.

The repair facility at Paducah did an excellent job of determining and repairing the prop problem (a loose "freeze" plug in the crankshaft). With great consideration, the plane was kept inside a large multi plane hanger for over 4 weeks without charge. I am sure it was just an individual crook without the foresight to envision the problem that stealing $20 worth of gas could have caused.

I hope that by reading this article, someone will be helped to avoid an unscheduled landing. Please everyone, check your tanks for the amount of fuel that you expect after leaving the plane unattended for any length of time.

Sincerely,
Lorn

P.S. I did buy the boat and sailed it from Houston, Tx to Oriental, NC.. The trip was enjoyable as well as exciting. It took 24 days. You can see the boat at:
                http://web.mac.com/lorn
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Lorn H. 'Feathers' Olsen, MAA, DynaComm, Corp.
248-345-0500, mailto:lorn@dynacomm.ws
LNC2, O-320-D1F, 1,200 hrs, N31161, Y47, SE Michigan