bsacks05
Well Known Member
Due to my impatience and boneheaded fuel expectations I managed to run a tank dry on a recent long cross country.
I knew the left tank was getting close to being empty but I thought it would get me another 10-15 minutes along before I switched to the right tank. I was about 20 minutes from home with rapidly diminishing daylight at 3500 ft. "The fuel in the right tank would be enough to get me home with reserves", was my thinking before the left tank went dry.
I did not think it would happen but suddenly the engine quit with the prop windmilling at a good clip. I was pretty quick to switch tanks and after about 3 long seconds the engine restarted. I don't remember if I pushed in the mixture and turned on the boost pump but was very relieved that the power came back on.
So...do I fly on, confident that the right tank would carry me through a darkening sky to my destination? No. I finally made a wise decision and diverted 9 miles to an airport I knew had SS fuel. I made it home later than I planned and logged some night flying and and a landing. I would have gotten home sooner if I had just topped off the tanks before I left in the first place.
Lesson Learned: After 11 years and 1100 hrs with my RV9, overconfidence, impatience, and complacency are real dangers. I'm glad this happened. It needed to happen and I am a better pilot for it.
I knew the left tank was getting close to being empty but I thought it would get me another 10-15 minutes along before I switched to the right tank. I was about 20 minutes from home with rapidly diminishing daylight at 3500 ft. "The fuel in the right tank would be enough to get me home with reserves", was my thinking before the left tank went dry.
I did not think it would happen but suddenly the engine quit with the prop windmilling at a good clip. I was pretty quick to switch tanks and after about 3 long seconds the engine restarted. I don't remember if I pushed in the mixture and turned on the boost pump but was very relieved that the power came back on.
So...do I fly on, confident that the right tank would carry me through a darkening sky to my destination? No. I finally made a wise decision and diverted 9 miles to an airport I knew had SS fuel. I made it home later than I planned and logged some night flying and and a landing. I would have gotten home sooner if I had just topped off the tanks before I left in the first place.
Lesson Learned: After 11 years and 1100 hrs with my RV9, overconfidence, impatience, and complacency are real dangers. I'm glad this happened. It needed to happen and I am a better pilot for it.