For decades prior to the advent of electronic instrumentation, flight instructors regularly taught pilots not to trust fuel gauges lest a failure leave them unknowingly running on empty. Despite more accurate measurement systems, fuel mismanagement still ranks number six on the NTSB’s list of GA accident categories, accounting for roughly 50 accidents each year, some with fatalities.
NTSB’s ‘Flying on Empty’ Focuses on Pilot Fuel Management
Key Takeaways:
- Fuel mismanagement ranks as the sixth leading cause of general aviation accidents, accounting for about 50 incidents annually, with 95% attributed to human error.
- These accidents are categorized as either fuel exhaustion (tanks dry) or fuel starvation (engine quits with usable fuel remaining).
- To prevent these incidents, the NTSB advises pilots to visually confirm fuel quantity, calculate flight time based on burn rate, and maintain conservative reserves, rather than relying solely on fuel gauges.
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