What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot privacy data omitted informed this office he ran out of fuel. Pilot's statement: on 11/24/06 I flew the T210 that I am a partner in with my family to North Las Vegas. There were six of us on board. My wife and I have flown the T210 and other aircraft into North Las Vegas airport once or twice a month between September and April over the past 2 years. I calculated that I would be at the maximum gross weight of 3800 pounds with passengers, baggage, and 320 pounds of fuel. I checked the fuel receipt from a trip on 10/26/06 and saw that I used 33.5 gallons (201 pounds) of fuel on that trip. Based on these considerations, the 320 pounds of fuel I planned seemed adequate for the trip plus 30 minutes of reserve fuel. On the morning of the trip I checked the weather and NOTAMS. Winds aloft at 12,000 feet were forecast to be about 260 at around 10 knots. Enroute and destination weather was forecast as clear, variable winds, and cool temperatures. The no-wind time for the 322 mile trip from salt lake city to North Las Vegas is about 1:50. Our on route heading was about 210 which changed our ete by only about 5 minutes, so I recalculated my expected fuel usage and determined that with 320 pounds on board we would still make it to our destination with a sufficient reserve of fuel. During the flight I watched the rate of fuel consumption and fuel gauges constantly. The fuel flow indicated about 95 pounds per hour in our cruise configuration. At approximately 65 minutes into the flight, the left tank showed approximately 45 pounds of fuel remaining. I switched to the right tank so that we would have approximately 30+ minutes of reserve in a descent configuration. I expected to be able to finish the flight on the right tank. At approximately 15 miles from the North Las Vegas airport, the right tank was emptied and the engine began to run rough so I switched the fuel back to the left tank. The right fuel gauge indicator went right to the bottom of the gauge. The left tank still showed about 45 pounds of fuel. My wife and I discussed these facts and agreed that we should have plenty of fuel to complete the last 5-10 minutes of the flight safely. We were handled by nellis approach, then transferred to the North Las Vegas tower. We descended to about 3800 feet AGL and entered a right base for runway 30L. At approximately 4 miles from the airport and approximately 4-5 minutes after switching to the left fuel tank, we lost power to the engine. I trimmed for best rate of descent, squawked 7700 and declared an emergency. After a minute or so, we regained power for several seconds then lost it for the last time about 2 miles from the airport. We landed less than 1 miles from the airport near a roadway and an open field. Luckily there were no injuries to the occupants and no damage to property on the ground except for a cable utility line.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA ^ INFORMED THIS OFFICE HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. PILOT'S STATEMENT: ON 11/24/06 I FLEW THE T210 THAT I AM A PARTNER IN WITH MY FAMILY TO NORTH LAS VEGAS. THERE WERE SIX OF US ON BOARD. MY WIFE AND I HAVE FLOWN THE T210 AND OTHER AIRCRAFT INTO NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND APRIL OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS. I CALCULATED THAT I WOULD BE AT THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF 3800 POUNDS WITH PASSENGERS, BAGGAGE, AND 320 POUNDS OF FUEL. I CHECKED THE FUEL RECEIPT FROM A TRIP ON 10/26/06 AND SAW THAT I USED 33.5 GALLONS (201 POUNDS) OF FUEL ON THAT TRIP. BASED ON THESE CONSIDERATIONS, THE 320 POUNDS OF FUEL I PLANNED SEEMED ADEQUATE FOR THE TRIP PLUS 30 MINUTES OF RESERVE FUEL. ON THE MORNING OF THE TRIP I CHECKED THE WEATHER AND NOTAMS. WINDS ALOFT AT 12,000 FEET WERE FORECAST TO BE ABOUT 260 AT AROUND 10 KNOTS. ENROUTE AND DESTINATION WEATHER WAS FORECAST AS CLEAR, VARIABLE WINDS, AND COOL TEMPERATURES. THE NO-WIND TIME FOR THE 322 MILE TRIP FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO NORTH LAS VEGAS IS ABOUT 1:50. OUR ON ROUTE HEADING WAS ABOUT 210 WHICH CHANGED OUR ETE BY ONLY ABOUT 5 MINUTES, SO I RECALCULATED MY EXPECTED FUEL USAGE AND DETERMINED THAT WITH 320 POUNDS ON BOARD WE WOULD STILL MAKE IT TO OUR DESTINATION WITH A SUFFICIENT RESERVE OF FUEL. DURING THE FLIGHT I WATCHED THE RATE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION AND FUEL GAUGES CONSTANTLY. THE FUEL FLOW INDICATED ABOUT 95 POUNDS PER HOUR IN OUR CRUISE CONFIGURATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE LEFT TANK SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 45 POUNDS OF FUEL REMAINING. I SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE APPROXIMATELY 30+ MINUTES OF RESERVE IN A DESCENT CONFIGURATION. I EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THE FLIGHT ON THE RIGHT TANK. AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT, THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTIED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH SO I SWITCHED THE FUEL BACK TO THE LEFT TANK. THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR WENT RIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GAUGE. THE LEFT TANK STILL SHOWED ABOUT 45 POUNDS OF FUEL. MY WIFE AND I DISCUSSED THESE FACTS AND AGREED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL TO COMPLETE THE LAST 5-10 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT SAFELY. WE WERE HANDLED BY NELLIS APPROACH, THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE NORTH LAS VEGAS TOWER. WE DESCENDED TO ABOUT 3800 FEET AGL AND ENTERED A RIGHT BASE FOR RUNWAY 30L. AT APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT AND APPROXIMATELY 4-5 MINUTES AFTER SWITCHING TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK, WE LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE. I TRIMMED FOR BEST RATE OF DESCENT, SQUAWKED 7700 AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. AFTER A MINUTE OR SO, WE REGAINED POWER FOR SEVERAL SECONDS THEN LOST IT FOR THE LAST TIME ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. WE LANDED LESS THAN 1 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT NEAR A ROADWAY AND AN OPEN FIELD. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS AND NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND EXCEPT FOR A CABLE UTILITY LINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.