Landing Technique

[CharlieTango]

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In a flight just completed the sight tubes in the CTLSi appears to show 19 gallons, more than enough for a flight from Carson, Nv to N.LasVegas, Nv... Mogas is not colored so ya gotta look carefully to make sure. Well, guess what? There was only 13 gallons, and we had a fuel emergency just short of the airport. Luckily there is a new header tank in the CTLSi that has 1.1 gallons of useable. We found out that stretched at 4000rpm to get the last 50 mi to the airport and a slipped landing from 3k feet over the runway. The extra height allowed for a possible engine out glide landing...

OMG, I have departed KVGT with high oil temps and carefully considered my options and there aren't any!

I was negative on your contentions that CTs fly fine heavy but I would much, much rather see you make such flights with full tanks than to arrive over hostile terrain with no fuel!

[Jim Stewart]

CTLSi,

Both the Skyview and the G3X show fuel flow and remaining. You already have something better than the sight glasses. Sigh.

About the brakes. Checklist item brake check should be last item before taxi. Brakes are also needed for runup. I'm very surprised you got in the air without suspecting a brake problem.

[CharlieTango]

CTSLi,

Why didn't you stop for fuel in Mercury rather than stretch 1.1 gallons 50miles?

[FlyingForFun]

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[3Dreaming]

CTLSi, you will find out that the sticker next to the fuel sight tube doesn't really line up with anything. The only way to know how much fuel you have is to use the dipstick.

[FastEddieB]

I had a BMW R100GS with a huge 9+ gallon tank and no gauge.

I installed a piece of clear fuel line running down the side of the tank from the gas cap vent to the fuel valve, making my own "sight tube".

It was, however, very difficult to see the gas level in the line, especially after the line got slightly yellowed. My fix was to cut a tiny ball of foam from a carb float and drop it in the line - it then floated at the top of the column of fuel making it much easier to see.

Have no idea if something like this is feasible in a CT or not, but it's just a thought.

[CTLSi]

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[CharlieTango]

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The lesson for the CTLS is not to trust the site tubes. Dip sticking the tanks is the only real way to determine fuel. And even then, must be done on a level surface. And needs to be enough fuel to register beyond the root of the wing.

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The sight tubes are the most trust-worthy method of confirming available fuel in flight, if you can see fuel, you have fuel available.

Did it occur to you on your approach to North Las Vegas, during your fuel emergency that a number of people were needlessly put at risk? You are right that the sight tubes cannot be trusted for precise quantities if you are not familiar with them but there are far more important lessons than that.

Lessons:
Do not depart without knowing your fuel quantity and that you have adequate fuel and reserves to reach a destination.
Monitor your fuel consumption in flight so that you can and will stop for fuel if needed. Fuel can leak, or vent, or be consumed at a higher than planned rate.

The fact that you departed with inadequate fuel to make the flight doesn't mean that you shouldn't have recognized this en route and corrected it. What were you doing for 2 1/2 hours? What happened to that magical low fuel burn rate that you have been telling us about?

[FlyingForFun]

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[CTLSi]

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[FlyingForFun]

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[FlyingForFun]

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[CharlieTango]

Unexpected headwinds means you were burning more fuel than planned, your avionics could have told you this and your sight tubes could have told you this as well.

You learned the wrong lesson, sight tubes are invaluable.

The lesson you should have learned is that un-expected head-winds require additional fuel and that should have been on your mind and you should have been considering Tonopah to prevent a fuel emergency if you go by Tonopah Mercury is next.

BTW Mercury is on 95 a bit before Creech, probably the better choice because it isn't a military field.

This is hard to visualize, 3,500' over the field is in McCarren's Class B, did you declare an emergency and get a Clearance to enter Bravo?

A precautionary slip over a densely populated area to facilitate a dead stick landing is risking both lives and someone's pilot's privileges

FFF is correct the interstate highway is not an alternate.

[FlyingForFun]

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[drseti]

My guess is that he meant he was 3500 MSL over the airfield (which is 1300 AGL), and so well clear of the Bravo.