Pilots of all experience levels have been involved in fuel-starvation accidents after switching tanks during the prelanding checklist. At a time when the pilot is low, getting slow, and busy configuring the aircraft, the checklist reads something such as, "switch to fullest tank." Many pilots just do it without a thought. Why? Because the checklist says so. These incidents have made me reevaluate my thought process while completing a checklist from, "Do what it says and check it off," to "Think about this and do what makes the most sense." Now, when I'm approaching to land and I see the "switch to fullest tank" item, I ask myself, "Do I have more than enough fuel to land and fly a go-around?" I've actually rewritten my checklist to say "check fuel quantity." If the tank I'm using is half full, I won't switch tanks. Why would you want to switch from a tank that's been working properly to one that may have developed a blockage or has been leaking?
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