What we don't know about this is exactly how much fuel the 310 carried during that flight. That Cessna official range of "640 to 1955 miles" is based on how much fuel Cessna provided for in the way of permanent fuel tanks. Some aircraft not normally suitable for trans-pac will carry additional fuel in bladders inside the aircraft.

However, regardless how much fuel he carried, it wasn't enough. FAA & NTSB will be asking some very hard questions.

Walt's point about the pilot not turning around prior to PONR is absolutely right. Maybe the winds picked up after PONR -- maybe this, maybe that. We don't know what we don't know.

During my first squadron tour, we would take-off with ~60,000 lbs of fuel. Squadron requirements were to plan to be overhead the field with 8000 lbs prior to landing, which is more than the FAA minimum. There were additional rules regarding dipping the tanks, calibrating fuel gauges, yada yada yada which could make it okay to get back with 6000 lbs overhead, but the one time a crew came back with 4000 lbs, an a**chewing followed. The crew knew exactly how much fuel was in each tank, but they came back below minimum fuel so -- okay, an a**chewing is maybe too strong, the pilot got a slap on the wrist and was told to not do it again. But he landed back home and the plane was just fine.

After the investigation, this pilot/company will probably get more than a slap on the wrist from FAA. I wonder how many times they've done this and gotten away with it.