How I Almost Ran Out of Fuel at Night...

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This is the story of how I almost ran out of fuel during a flying trip to Oakland, CA. I learned a few lessons about fuel management, fuel exhaustion, and FBO services through this experience. I hope you enjoy this one and find it useful!
00:00 - Intro
00:14 - The Piper Challenger
00:48 - The Trip
01:37 - Fuel Management
02:15 - TFP Ground School App
02:45 - On the Way to Oakland
03:13 - FBOs
03:37 - Parking and Fueling at the FBO
03:49 - Ready to Depart for Home
04:01 - Preflight
04:41 - Sumping
05:04 - Fuel Tanks
05:51 - Fuel Mystery
06:26 - Other Pilot
06:45 - Shaken Up and Upset
07:13 - What If...?
07:39 - Full Karen Mode?
07:50 - What Can YOU Do?
This video is not meant to be instruction. Always consult your CFI about proper fuel management and fueling procedures. Scenes are dramatic (and sometimes comedic) recreations based on factual events. Names and Tail numbers have been changed for anonymity.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Get 10% of Ground School by The Finer Points. Download the app with a free trial and enter code MONKEY for 10% off. www.learnthefinerpoints.com/monkey.

[@stewc625]

Certainly a cautionary tale. You might have oversold the story with the title though. You didn't almost crash as you didn't even take off. But hey .. still a good story. Thanks for sharing it. Lessons abound.

[@MikeyCh09]

Definitely unnecessary click bait.

[@scottmoseley5122]

no one would have watched it ..if he titled it. "I paid for another guy's gas"

[@watchthis6246]

After seeing the title, I watched the video to confirm it was likely a click bait title. Good story and valuable lesson, but the title is way of reality. I enjoy watching the channel because of the trips and adventures.

[@branwall]

This was a good video that didn’t deserve to have such a misleading title applied to it. There’s a line between drumming up interest and outright lying, and I feel like this video crossed the line with its title.

[@UnicycleIdiot]

It seems as if every youtuber goes through a time where they decide if they want to start using clickbait, and it's always unfortunate to see a quality channel like this one start going down the clickbait rabbit hole. Completely unnecessary. Quality content usually goes way further than clickbait in the long run.

[@paulbrunner1818]

I fly primarily for business, and visit a variety of FBO’s. There has been quite a few instances with fuel screw up: no re-fuel, not enough, and poring out the vents. All pilots: (1) visually check your fuel and (2) sump each tank. Don’t be another unexpected glider. Thanks for this video, great reminder to all of us.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

It’s alarming how many errors I have heard about.

[@coenkuijpers1800]

I have this “strange” habit that I even check fuel when I witnessed the refueling 😂

[@aaryanpour]

me three

[@md4droid]

Really glad you shared this story. It certainly drives home the importance of a thorough pre-flight inspection. "Trust but verify" is great, but I much prefer: "Trust no one, always check for yourself". 😉

[@gorgly123]

This is why I always watch my plane being fueled. It's to make sure they put the correct amount of fuel in and also to verify that the correct fuel (100LL) is being delivered.

[@Avi8tor857]

Always verify fuel, really should be the first item on your checklist ... I forgot to sump the tanks one time after fueling. Luckily no issue, but talking about a punch in the gut when you level off after climb out and it hits you... you forgot to do something so simple that could have major impact. I had landed at a airport close to where the plane was based to fuel it as it was substantially cheaper there, self serve pump, jump back in to get the plane back (it was a rental) in time. Luckily a lesson that stayed with me as a couple years later I did get water in a rental (first to fly it that day) that I caught, It is always a chain so if you see one forming be the loudest voice in the room :-)

[@thebadgerpilot]

I always make an effort to watch my plane being fueled to verify the proper fuel type, amount, and that the caps were properly replaced. It also gives me a chance to see any linesman induced damage (thankfully hasn’t happened yet), but more importantly gives me a chance to meet the folks that work at my airport, build a rapport, and get to know them a little. Many of them have dreams of flying, too!

[@SkylaneGuy]

Great story! You're actually very lucky to have had this experience because you will never take off again without visually checking the fuel level.

[@MrFL0vv]

Wow, what a story, glad you didn‘t skip the checking

[@100M2B]

Thank you for making this video!!

[@MarioLoco03]

Student Pilot here...very helpful video. I havent had to fly to an FBO yet but now I know to still check even after fuel up (by someone else).

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

glad it was helpful! good luck on your training!

[@ezeikelgundelfinger9135]

You hit the nail on the head with this video! Thank you...

[@wes_d]

Borderline clickbait title but good message for all to remember.

[@sheriftaher]

One more thing worth checking the fuel, I mean actual sumping ... sometimes they can accidentally put jet fuel instead

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Definitely!

[@grantbrown7594]

Great video man, and great points. Thanks for making it.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@AV8OR51]

Great reminder that you always visually check and confirm fuel quantity and type! Thanks for sharing!

[@wblue1447]

great lesson and reminder! thanks.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johnholmes6833]

Excellent reminder. Thanks for sharing and putting these out. Great video. Relatable for sure.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks for watching!

[@flyod26]

Thanks for sharing!

[@karllewis7965]

Great video, learned something new from it. I’m still fairly low hour (105 hr PPL) so tips like this really help. I’ll be adding “always visually inspect the fuel tanks after fueling” to my personal checklist!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

So glad it was helpful for you!

[@Gionix]

Thanks for sharing this experience

[@alexrcastillo1977]

Great tips.

[@paulhendershott667]

Best safety video I've seen in a while! I had the same thing happen to me in Roanoke VA. I dropped in to let weather a huge fast moving front move by. I got a lift to a recommended restaurant to grab dinner, waited out the hour long storm and went back to the airport to continue up to the Adirondack mountains in NY. I paid the fuel bill which seemed spot on, went back and did the preflight including sumping the wings. I took a quick peak into the tanks and realized I hadn't gotten a drop of fuel! They couldn't explain what had happened, just that they would "get right on that" and get me on my way. A possible nighttime fuel starvation scenario in the making. I likely might have caught the issue from looking at the gauges, but I normally fly the longer legs by calculating power settings and leaning the fuel. Single pilot, at night, at the end of a long day of flying, is not the best time to count on catching all the clues...

[@fredlarson3752]

I had a similar experience. I was renting a C172 for a night flight. The plane schedule said it was topped. When did the cabin preflight, the gauges didn't look topped to me. When I pulled the caps, I could definitely tell it wasn't full. Asked the line guy, and he said, "Oh yeah, I filled it up!" But I convinced him to pull it back to the pumps. He put about 12 gallons in, if I recall. He had checked off in his mind that he had filled it up when he actually hadn't. I probably would have been fine for that flight, but I was glad to have the tanks full. We're all human, we all make mistakes. We just each have to do our part to make sure the Swiss cheese holes don't line up.

[@kohersh]

Another fabulous video, thanks for sharing your experience! Trust but verify, judicious suspicion, call it what you want. We probably should stick around to watch them fuel as high as the stakes are. Did they fill the proper tanks, did we get the right fuel type and quantity?

[@byutennismenace]

Great message! So glad that this ended up working out alright!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Yes! Thank you!

[@pearlharbor8065]

I liken this to the handling of firearms, no matter what someone says, you always check if it is loaded yourself.

[@snoopha3]

Brilliant explanation and quality ❤ Love the way you breif your flightplans Beautiful pa28-180🛩 Looking forward for your upcoming vlogs ❤

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks!

[@scottwillson5562]

this makes a lot more sense. i was thinking there's no way he eric ran almost ran out of fuel. but yes, 100% always do your preflight. i once forgot to put the fuel cap on and the chain was broken. miraculously got to my first stop and noticed it was gone. i had gotten distracted by a fuel hose that would catch and was pulling the whole time. so rather than button up as usual i jumped off the ladder to replace the hose. that said, i now always take a few steps back and just generally look over the aircraft from a distance.

[@coppi60]

Good catch on the preflight!!!!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks!

[@denniston13]

Thanks for this lesson. I really appreciate it.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JohnHartConductor]

😮 Thanks for the cautionary tale. Good advice for us newbies and student pilots.

[@minecraftwtihclay]

I have always taught my students trust but verify. Every flight I would ask them how the fuel and oil level looks. Then I would check myself, another lesson I learned was to make sure. I checked the fuel and caps after the student did. Great video, it will save someone from trouble.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Great point especially picking up possible slack from students. Protect yourself!

[@AdventureAndy208]

I’ve had similar experiences with major FBOs when requesting “Fill to the tabs” and they go to the collar with excuse that is how it is on Cessnas. I had enough gross wt left but curious the proper method for draining fuel?

[@thepurpleufo]

Hey, we love you, man. Be careful!!!!

[@JB_Hobbies]

I recently landed at a Class C FBO. Commercial flights got the nice building, and GA flights got the trailer. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it sure beats having to deal with TSA and sprinting from gate to gate any day.

[@PistaalaVista]

Thanks for you message.

[@888vlade]

I loved the visuals hahaha. Karen mode got me. Good story!

[@aopajay]

Outstanding!!! Love your & Jason’s videos!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

thank you so much!

[@tmusky1134]

Your videos are good enough to stand on their own. Please don't think you need to use "clickbaity" titles. This is a compliment and a suggestion.

[@djwashx]

Thanks great info!!!!!!!!!!

[@johnh9637]

It is essential to check fuel after each refuel. If a fuel cap was incorrectly replaced and loose, expect the fuel to vent overboard in flight. If you're flying a high wing, get a plastic step stool (Walmart, $10) to climb up there, and bring it with you.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Totally agree!

[@andrewliebfried3120]

ALL WAYs supervise someone servicing your plane. ALL WAYs double check everything they did. If they added oil verify the quantity and ensure the cap is tight. Fuel, visually verify and secure the caps your self. If they move your plane verify there was no damage to the steering mechanism. Do a detail visual on the exterior. Don’t let them drop the fuel hose over the wing, make sure they didn’t spill have oil over the engine. I started out as a lineman and have seen many a careless act in my 55 years in aviation.

[@georgemixelogj9749]

Another well made video. I enjoy your videos. Though this one was a simple occurrence caught with a routing inspection. The title and the beginning makes it sounds like a near death experience.

[@timhoke2]

Wow! I ALWAYS double check the fuel tanks for the very reason you mentioned here!!!

[@1dullgeek]

So what was the resolution between you and the other airplane? Did that guy just get free fuel? Did you have to pay for a second fill up?

[@robertbrown9827]

Good work sir. I never let my plane get fueled without me present.

[@ltfadl1]

Wow, that could've been really bad, glade you caught it.

[@keithhoward9238]

Glad that you checked out the fuel tanks. I NEVER trust the FBO to fill up my plane. I'm ALWAYS there or ask if they can do it when I arrive to takeoff.

[@brothersar5957]

Wow, TBH, I got a little emotional thinking of the worst - Good catch SoCal

[@halepauhana153]

Good lesson. Another good tip - carry more than 1 credit card. One time I had to refuel at a self-serve pump at a remote airfield, and it kept rejecting my first credit card. The second one worked. And unbeknownst to me, the 2nd credit card company kept trying to call me during the flight home, because they thought my card had been compromised. Apparently that fuel supplier had some "issues"....

[@purdueschmidt]

I make it a point to always watch when fbo fuels my plane. Had one not put cap back on correctly and got a bunch of water in also one that dumped 3 gal over the wing

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Good call. I try whenever possible to be present for it

[@loveplanes]

Good tip. Thanks

[@davidklassen2805]

I had a very similar experience it was going to be my first instrument flight lesson. The line guy pulled the aircraft out of the hanger and said it had full tanks. I did a full preflight, but since it was a high wing, didn’t check the fuel since he told me, I had full tanks After I had completed my preflight. I was waiting on my instructor and decided to go visually check the tanks before we took off and I found nothing other than 6 gallons of fuel in the tanks of a Cessna 172 which would be less than one hour of flying. Luckily I caught this before we took off

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

oh wow yeah you are lucky for catching that! I always visually check and it has saved me on at least this one occasion!

[@davidklassen2805]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey yeah at one point I started slacking on my checklists and stuff like that but this was a huge eye opener for me and now I always use checklists for everything and yes I always visually check the fuel!

[@anemazoso]

Just about fell on the floor laughing when the heavy metal came in 😂

[@mjsprouse]

My Saratoga is fueled (via text, I’m not present) by a major brand FBO. I found one cap improperly reinstalled and not properly sealed - during the recent major SoCal rainstorms. After sumping a ton of water I let the FBO know what they did and I got the same response - basically they didn’t care.

[@bnato8209]

Wow. Great lesson. Thanks for posting. Chain of errors, they are killers. Fortunately you broke the chain with your manual checking process.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Glad you enjoyed it. It really opened my eyes to what could have happened if I strayed from my usual preflight procedure...

[@richardandersen8198]

I had somewhat of a similar situation but the main difference is I didn’t verify! Our CFI had just landed and the student getting off the plane had his flight plan handy, while I had mine in may folder, inside my bag (we need a flight plan to fuel the plane) so he asked me if we should just use his, which was fine by me. CFI told me to fuel up to 12gal per wing to the C152 and since it was the other students flight plan I relayed the information and told him to fuel 12 pero wing. In my country the pumps are in liters so he fueled 12liters per wing (about 3gal per wing). I then helped push the plane to where it can be started and did an extremely fast and weak preflight inspection which skipped verifying fuel onboard. Needles to say we took off trusting the plane had 12gal per wing and flew about 1hr 50min. After we landed I checked fuel and we had close to 2gal in one wing and almost 0 in the other wing. That’s about 20min of flight time in our 152, so it was a close call but out of pure luck, nothing happened.

[@mattgirgenti3595]

As a general rule, when I don't do self-serve, I stay with the plane while being fueled. Right fuel, right amount, right plane. As a bonus, I get a chance to chat with he line crew AND TIP. If I have to run out, I try to hold off until I return before getting fuel. The only downside of fuel, then start is water hasn't had time to settle yet. Either way, once done, I visually check the tank and sump them .. even when in suit pants. I'd rather have a dirty suit then crash pre-dressed for my funeral :)

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Good call. I do the same whenever possible. And I always check the levels visually!

[@ahmadsamadzai8255]

So glad you didn't take off and ran out of fuel and crash. lol I just flew out of WHP for the 1st time in So Cal crazy airspace. phew that was fun.

[@fabitocl]

Nice video! I fly in South America where fuel is sold by liters, even though everything else is measured in gallons - including consumption, usable fuel, tank capacity, and so on. One time, a pilot landed and asked the FBO to "fill it up with 20 in each wing." He meant 20 gallons, but unfortunately the FBO loaded his plane with 20 liters instead of 20 gallons. The pilot did not pre-flight correctly and ended up crashing the plane, resulting in a non-fatal accident. It was a sad way to lose such a beautiful C172.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

wow thats terrible! Good to keep in mind for flying to other countries!

[@georgeallensmo]

I handled a mis fueling accident which killed 18 people. It can happen to anyone. Always check and sump

[@jamesgames.4]

I got double fueled once by Atlantic at Scottsdale, and that was a bummer, especially at $9 per gallon!

[@neverclevernorwitty7821]

Single engine, night, over terrain. You say you only do this by exception, what were the mitigating circumstances that justified the exception?

[@BigMike10960]

Thanks for sharing. How much is AV gas in CA?

[@mjsprouse]

I’m paying around $7 but it can fluctuate quite a bit

[@watashiandroid8314]

$5.30/gallon self serve at SZP about 50 miles northwest of LA. Probably the cheapest around.

[@usaf2a6x4]

I always try to fuel my own aircraft. Yes it’s inconvenient but it eliminates other people from touching the aircraft eliminating the possibility that someone did or didn’t do something.

[@Planesandstuff425]

What a wild scenario to consider. 😅

[@hawkdsl]

Good story.. But what was the ending. Did you get a refund, did the other pilot get his fuel removed... what happened?

[@monkeybarmonkeyman]

4:25 running behind but still wanted to get home... Uh yeah... in military aviation, we used to call that get-home-itis, one of the largest factors behind "accidents".

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

It is. It’s important to stick with procedure like proper preflighting even when in a hurry.

[@TomCook1993]

Sounds like some classic Signature shenannigans

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

🤣

[@jeffreymessick5630]

Hi! I'm a student pilot (about 30hrs in) about to buy my first plane tomorrow (hopefully). I am buying a Cherokee 6/260. I just found you channel and I live in SoCal as well. I was wondering if you know of any Cherokee 6/260/300 clubs in the area that you could recommend joining? Thanks, and I look forward to hearing back from you!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Congrats!!!!! I don't know of any specific PA32 groups in the area but our Flying Monkey Patreon group has a pretty good SoCal and NorCal contingency. We fly occasional meet ups plus our annual Mexico Whales trip. :)

[@jeffreymessick5630]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Cool, I'll have to join up then 😀 BTW, I bought the plane! Plan on flying it back to SoCal from South Carolina next week with my CFI and my dad!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

That’s going to be a great trip! You’ll learn a lot.

[@billadams8795]

YIKES

[@GregiiFlieger]

There are bad FBOs and MROs at an unbelievable scale. The experience must be reported (and taken very seriously). Lives are at stake and both (MROs and FBOs) many times have zero appreciation of their actions and potential consequences. Sharing your experience is invaluable. Thank you.

[@scottmoseley5122]

Wow. Great lesson. Human Error.. it could happen to the best of FBO's. So how did the FBO fix it for the other guy? .... Or what if the other pilot was fully loaded and the added fuel put him overweight ...

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I’m not sure what they ended up doing. After getting fuel I just wanted to leave and try to beat the sunset as much as possible to minimize night flight.

[@jayc3169]

Let me know when you fly to Santa Fe!

[@airfiero4772]

The easiest way to not run out of fuel is “dip” (use calibrated stick to measure fuel) before every flight.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Indeed. I bought a generic one and calibrated it in 2 gallon increments. No pre made one avail for PA32.

[@airfiero4772]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey good plan!

[@blueyonder360]

You’re the PIC correct? Not the fuel guy or FBO desk clerk who checked you out. It’s on you as PIC every single time.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Agreed!

[@jriff_dk]

Oh no!

[@RaceMentally]

Pre check saved you

[@EdwardHefter]

Even if I do an abbreviated preflight, I *always* check the fuel for the reason you said - the fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate. BTW, there are no US tail numbers that have a sequence with letters and then a number, like __SB5. But, best not to put the person’s real tail number in, so I’m ok with it!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

That’s exactly right with the tail number and exactly the reason I used the one I did. :)

[@EdwardHefter]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey It's good to know the names of the innocent are protected! Thanks for a good video and a good reminder to "Trust and verify"

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

That's certainly alarming, with aviation known for its accuracy. 'Trust but verify' will do! 🌏🇭🇲

[@TIO540S1]

It's clear what you meant, but "twice as fatal" is an interesting turn of phrase.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Hmmm yeah I suppose twice as likely to be fatal….

[@rockmathias1848]

I like your video, and all the others I have seen of yours. I know its seems very serious, but you would have caught the problem when you started taxiing and saw low fuel gauges (I know they are inaccurate, but they give your an idea of fuel level). And someone else who’s not as good as you would have run a tank dry, and had to switch tanks! That is never a fun surprise, but it would alert them to the low fuel situation,,, and lead to a divert to fuel in the Central valley. Still, great video and maybe it saves one person from a traumatic situation. Good job!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I may indeed have caught it with the fuel gauges...but on that plane in particular I wasn't in the habit of looking at them since they weren't very accurate. Tank could be full and read much lower...

[@HerschelHorton]

You know, they don't teach you to do a pre-flight check of the airplane every time for no good reason. For every procedure we follow in aviation there is a sad story where we, as a flying community, had to learn a hard lesson.

[@TheOriginal1234]

Hey! I'm early!

[@thomasdowd2183]

This is a really important cautionary tale. Thank you for taking the time to make such a good video about it! It's a classic swiss cheese scenario. Hole 1: Two very similar tail numbers at the same FBO at the same time. Hole 2: Communication mixup over which aircraft was fueled. The final two holes in the cheese would have been if you: 3: didn't visually verify fuel level and 4: disregarded electronic fuel gauges as being faulty. That would have lined up all the holes, and you would have been making a night time landing in the middle of the desert. Good thing you stayed vigilant! And I'm glad you told the FBO how much of a problem their mistake was.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I wish I would have used this idea in the video. It really explains what I was upset about…

[@dafyddtaylor6413]

Great video, I find with your channel it’s not just about the flight/trip but also great moments like this to drum home the importance of proper pre flight checks and not becoming complacent/ reliant on others. Fantastic content as always 🍻

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thank you so much!

[@TheLincolnshireFlyer]

Trust no one, believe nothing. Check and verify everything!

[@rebel_jedi]

Thanks for sharing ! "Trust but verify" , loved it ! In my Country we say "Trust God but lock your car". 😄😎

[@rroach8515]

In God we trust, all others prepay.

[@N224DW]

Trust but verify with FBOs..... well known incident here in TX where a twin Cessna had both engines fail on climb out above an IMC layer.... the pilot was able to keep control and land in the freeway median...all survived...... Cause: pilot requested his twin cessna (piston powered) to be fueled to the top...... inexperienced fueler figured it needed JET FUEL because of its size and the fact it had two engines and proceeded to fuel up the tanks with Jet fuel...... Engines did ok until the jet fuel began to mix and cause detonation, with eventual engine failure...simple mistake that almost killed 4 people.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Wow. What a huge mistake!!

[@N224DW]

@SoCal Flying Monkey glad you caught the fuelers mistake in your situation...... human error is exactly that.. an error....... no human is perfect and verifying their work is key to survival in the aviation world.... glad it worked out for you .... and glad you didn't pay for someone else's fuel in their airplane! Lol

[@jeremybogan8444]

As PIC you are always responsible for making sure that you have enough fuel. The fuel guy is the least trained person that will ever touch your aircraft.

[@ryanawilson8549]

😲

[@JonMulveyGuitar]

Clickbait title. Which was unnecessary. You have a great channel and doesn't need hype to get views. Great lesson that would have stood on it's own. Always love the content. Thanks.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks for the feedback. Not being sarcastic. Always trying to find the balance for the audience.

[@StripeTheFerret]

Scary shit!! You always have to double check everything. I don’t take anyone’s word as the truth until I see with my own eyes. Basically the same as handling firearms. my dad could hand me a gun and say it’s unloaded, I’m still double checking

[@DJ99777]

Should have got a Lance. Better range.

[@mianatwood]

I loved this video, and I understand what others are saying about clickbait but it’s mostly baby boomers that don’t understand how modern day algorithms work. If it’s not for click bait titles and templates the videos won’t be clicked in hence “clickbait.” If you don’t do it, you most likely won’t get the exposure. But we can always try to reduce how extreme the click bait is do people don’t get annoyed 😊

[@danielreuter2565]

Lots of complaints here that are utterly missing the point that planes get mis-fueled all the time and often crash when pilots don't catch the mistake

[@paratyshow]

👍✅

[@dcviper985]

They may not have realized the significance, but they at least put the fuel in that you paid for, right?

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Yes I ended up getting it filled up...