Learning the Basics of Fuel Management

Running out of fuel is most often a result of human error and can result in an unscheduled off-airport landing.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 10:57 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

The No. 1 cause of fuel exhaustion, according to the NTSB, is human error. [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Fuel exhaustion is a significant and often deadly aviation hazard, primarily caused by human error in fuel management, leading to unscheduled off-airport landings like the recent Piper Navajo crash in Victoria, Texas.
Effective fuel management is crucial and requires conservative calculations using the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) and a flight computer (E6-B) to determine fuel burn for all flight phases, including taxi, takeoff, approach, and required reserves, rather than guessing.
Pilots must consistently check fuel quantity visually before takeoff, understand aircraft systems, and prioritize making extra fuel stops to avoid the dangers associated with running out of fuel.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire. I tell all my clients this, but especially my student pilots, because running out of fuel is right up there with leaving the baby on the bus. It shouldn’t happen, but it does, and more often than not, it happens when you get behind the airplane.

Running out of fuel can result in an unscheduled off-airport landing. If you are lucky, no one gets hurt, there is very little property damage, and you can use the airplane again. Other times, the results are deadly, or at least more dramatic.