Aircraft Fuel Mismanagement Cause and Effect

Aircraft Fuel Mismanagement - Cause and Effect

This is what we know about aircraft fuel instrumentation 

• "Maybe they’re also more in the habit of keeping an eye on the clock in flight, even sneaking the occasional glance at those notoriously inaccurate fuel gauges."  
• "Airplanes are legendary for having inaccurate fuel quantity gauges"
• "These devices are notoriously inaccurate, showing empty when there are gallons left in the tank and showing full for the first 1/2 hour."
• "Aircraft fuel gauges can be notoriously inaccurate."
• "Without a means of measuring fuel flow, you must rely on the aircraft fuel gauges or total time of flight. Aircraft fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate (they are only required by the FAA to read accurately when displaying empty)." 
• "Aircraft fuel gauges have a well-deserved reputation for being unreliable and the FARs only require that fuel gauges read correctly when they are empty!"
• "Second, as others have said aircraft fuel gauges have historically been poorly designed and grossly inaccurate. Many will indicate something significantly different in a climb vs a descent and there are some airplanes with fuel gauges that are designed to read full until a substantial amount of fuel has been consumed."
• "Don’t bet your life on your fuel gauges, visually check the fuel level by “dipping” all tanks. Some aircraft models have notoriously unreliable fuel gauges."
• "All light aircraft gauges are notoriously, infamously and reliably, unreliable."
• "FAA safety guidance information states that fuel gauges are subject to malfunctions and errors, and certification regulations only require that a fuel gauge read “zero” during level flight when the quantity of fuel remaining in the tank is equal to the unusable fuel supply. Therefore, fuel gauges should not be depended upon for checking the fuel quantity in a tank"
• "Sounds great in theory, but I have not yet seen an accurate Cessna fuel gauge, Ever. A fairly expensive AD would be the only thing that would ever change that."
• "Unfortunately, fuel quantity gauges in aircraft are often inaccurate at quantities above zero. While this does not mean that they can be ignored, it does justify the use of another tool to provide a more accurate total picture of the fuel quantity."

... and on and on and on and on and on.

This is who takes the blame.

• "The pilot's inadequate preflight preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and subsequent loss of engine power during cruise flight."

• "The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation to ensure an adequate fuel supply was available for the intended flight."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power."
• "A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion during approach, inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the certified flight instructor (CFI)."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to determine the fuel supply in each fuel tank, and his mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation."
• "A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his failure to verify fuel consumption during flight that resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent collision with obstacles and the ground."
• "The pilot's departure with insufficient fuel for the planned flight, and his improper in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of power in both engines due to fuel starvation."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and failure to verify the amount of fuel onboard the airplane prior to departure, which resulted in loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight preparation and failure to verify the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power."
• "The pilots improper preflight planning and preparation which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion."
• "The pilot's failure to refuel, resulting in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight and mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion."
• "The pilot's inadequate preflight planning of fuel required for the flight that resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power."
• "A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning."
• "A total loss of engine power during a go-around due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning."
• "The inadequate preflight inspection by both pilots, resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion."
• "A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning."
• "Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel."
• "A loss of engine power during approach due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's fuel mismanagement."
• "A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning."

... and on and on and on and on and on.

I am suggesting the aviation community take a closer look at the causes and effects of Fuel Exhaustion and Fuel Starvation events.