The only time (as one old barn stormer is quoted saying) that you can have too much fuel is when you are on fire {:>).

Ed

My friend who hauls me to Sun&Fun each year lost two friends from the Bonanza club who needed to fly another 150 feet to miss a ditch at the end of the runway.

 

They would have destroyed the (borrowed) plane, but would have walked away.

 

They could have stopped at one of the last dozen airports they flew over to add a cup of fuel.

 

They could have run the engine lean of peak EGT for ten minutes.

 

They could have powered back 100 RPM for 15 minutes.  

 

We will never know why they did none of these. They are gone. The plane is gone.

A company wants paid a fortune for removing 9 cubic yards of fuel contaminated earth, when it looks like two shovel fulls are missing from the scene. Two family's are destroyed. Brain operations and weeks of intensive care for nothing.

 

When we leave for Sun&Fun we have 9 hours of fuel on board for a 4 hour trip. With the new 550 up front, we cruise at the top of the yellow arc, and it runs great lean of peak, where the 470 was very unhappy.

 

If an instructor wanted you to practice engine outs by running out of fuel, you would think him mad, and run away. Why is it that we can do this to ourselves? How can two very good high time, pilots sit there and watch the last gage settle on E and do nothing to save themselves? 

 

I cannot get my mind around it.

 

Lynn E. Hanover