GA small aircraft engine quit due fuel tank unported as aircraft was flown wing low. Engine restarted approach controller advised and precautionary landing completed.

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Attributes
ACN	101739
Time
Date	198901
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dal
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tower : dal tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	101739
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was flown in and out of trim condition for an extended period of time due to high speed xwinds and pilot fatigue. The right wing tank was empty and the left wing tank contained approximately 4 gal of usable fuel. Turbulence and the out of trim condition caused the left tank to unport. When the engine quit, I immediately went to full rich and placed the aircraft in trim. The engine restarted instantly. I requested an immediate landing at love field and was told by approach to land on either runway, the tower had been notified. I misunderstood the tower frequency so could not establish contact with the tower until after landing. After landing I taxied clear of the runway and to a parking area and shut down. Fuel remaining in the left tank was 5 gals as verified by using a visual stick gauge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENGINE QUIT DUE FUEL TANK UNPORTED AS ACFT WAS FLOWN WING LOW. ENGINE RESTARTED APCH CTLR ADVISED AND PRECAUTIONARY LNDG COMPLETED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FLOWN IN AND OUT OF TRIM CONDITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO HIGH SPEED XWINDS AND PLT FATIGUE. THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT WING TANK CONTAINED APPROX 4 GAL OF USABLE FUEL. TURB AND THE OUT OF TRIM CONDITION CAUSED THE LEFT TANK TO UNPORT. WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT, I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO FULL RICH AND PLACED THE ACFT IN TRIM. THE ENGINE RESTARTED INSTANTLY. I REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE LANDING AT LOVE FIELD AND WAS TOLD BY APCH TO LAND ON EITHER RWY, THE TWR HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. I MISUNDERSTOOD THE TWR FREQ SO COULD NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE TWR UNTIL AFTER LNDG. AFTER LNDG I TAXIED CLEAR OF THE RWY AND TO A PARKING AREA AND SHUT DOWN. FUEL REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK WAS 5 GALS AS VERIFIED BY USING A VISUAL STICK GAUGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.