A couple of recent Cirrus parachute deployments were caused because the pilots simply forgot to change tanks and immediately assumed they had had an engine failure…
Peter wrote:
What I don’t get in this case is just how lose to the line he had to be flying to get this problem. In an SR20/22 you would need to be flying for several hours on one tank to get an engine failure.
Presumably the pilot must also have been flying on the autopilot for that time. Otherwise (at least on the Arrow that I fly), even a half asleep pilot, would start to notice the extra effort required on the ailerons to make the place flight straight.
dublinpilot wrote:
Presumably the pilot must also have been flying on the autopilot for that time.
Indeed….it would be unheard of to hand-fly a Cirrus for so long! 
But yes, several hours out of one tank would require a very noticeable aileron correction…approximately a factor of 5 times the effect of single pilot lateral imbalance… (60in x 180lb fuel / 12in x 180lb pilot)
[edited to correct my bad math!]
Steve6443 wrote:
You’d be surprised how often pilots forget to change tanks because when the message flashes up, they acknowledge it and then get distracted (e.g. by an ATC call) before switching tanks.
I log the times of each tank switch. That makes it easy to see if I forgot and if so, by how much.
I always flew with the totaliser, switching after 10usg, then 30usg then 50usg used. This ensured no more then 10usg imbalance and was easy to remember.
AnthonyQ wrote:
I prefer to use the clock face method: from 00 to 30 – Right Tank, 30 to 60 – Left Tank
interresting method…. I try that one.
Didn’t we have a long thread on fuel management some time back?
Many, probably.
Got it…
