Investigation Summary
During the cruise phase, the captain noticed a fuel imbalance and opened the crossfeed valve to 'balance out the fuel.' However, due to differing output pressure settings on the boost pumps, the left tank's pump dominated the system. This not only supplied both engines from the left tank but also pumped excess fuel from the left side into the right tank. The captain became preoccupied with correcting weight and balance paperwork, which he had calculated incorrectly before departure, and failed to monitor the fuel gauges or close the crossfeed valve. As the left tank reached exhaustion, the aircraft developed a significant lateral imbalance, requiring the first officer to apply heavy control force to keep the wings level. The crew misidentified the handling issues as a mechanical control problem rather than a fuel state. By the time the captain realized the crossfeed was still open, the left tank was empty, and both engines flamed out at approximately 2,400 feet. The aircraft crashed onto a golf course 1.2 miles short of runway 36R.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB determined the probable cause was fuel starvation due to the captain's failure to follow approved fuel crossfeed procedures. Contributing factors included inadequate preflight planning, the captain's distraction with paperwork during flight, the late initiation of the in-range checklist, and the crew's failure to monitor fuel gauges or recognize that changing handling characteristics were indicative of a severe fuel imbalance.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
The Plane That Ran Out Of Fuel With Plenty Of Fuel Onboard — A detailed look at how a simple crossfeed error and a distraction with paperwork led to the fuel starvation and crash of Air Tahoma Flight 185.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Bruno Pichelli, aged 49.
First Officer
Michael Gelwicks, aged 37.
Systems & Failure Modes
Fuel Crossfeed System
Designed to allow engines to draw fuel from the opposite tank; improper use with boost pumps active created a pressure differential that emptied one tank into the other.
Allison 501-D13D Engines
Twin turboprop engines that suffered a dual flameout when the engine-driven pumps drew air from the exhausted left fuel tank.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a 51-year-old Convair 580 (serial number 068) with 67,886 flight hours.
- 02The right fuel tank contained ample fuel, but the engines flamed out because they were drawing from the empty left tank via the open crossfeed.
- 03The weight and balance computer was inoperative, forcing the captain to perform manual calculations that he later became distracted by during the flight.
- 04The first officer was the flying pilot during the approach.
- 05The crash occurred in visual meteorological conditions (VMC).
- 06The captain survived with minor injuries, while the first officer was fatally injured.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Fuel Crossfeed Placard and Procedures
The NTSB highlighted that the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and cockpit placards explicitly prohibited fuel transfer from tank to tank and required turning off the fuel valve for the tank not being used when operating the crossfeed system.
Weight and Balance Oversight
The investigation led to recommendations regarding Air Tahoma's weight and balance procedures, specifically addressing the lack of a load manifest left at the departure station and the use of manual calculations when automated systems are inoperative.