Narrative:

I purchased the aircraft the day before (used) in wichita, ks. Flew to okc for ron. Topped tanks at wichita and oklahoma city. Personally checked full at departure. Route of flight was planned direct okc to publication with VOR aid. Headwind component forecast less than 10 KTS. TAS 140K. Fuel burn was forecast at 9.5 gph with 40 gals (3.0 unusable) or about 3.9 hours endurance. Takeoff at okc was on left tank, switch to right tank after 1 hour, back to left tank after 1 hour. We are now at 2+00 on the left tank. At 2+29 I was ready to switch again and the engine quit. I switched to the right tank and the engine caught. I started descent and was cleared to enter a long right downwind for runway 8. 10 mins later (total 2.7) 5 mi east, the engine quit again and would not restart. I informed the tower and was cleared for straight in to 26R. I tried to hold 105 (best glide) but it was quite empty. I planned long and extended the gear about 1000' AGL. I started flaps down. T/D was about 2000' down and I made the first high speed turnoff. Gauges had been bouncy in the air now showed empty. Left tank had some fuel but outboard of a visible fold and unable to access, I guess. We used a stick and some air (to blow up the tank) to reduce the fold and put 38 gals in the aircraft. I flew maximum 2 hours legs the next day to verify fuel burn and capacity. Back to normal operation for rest of the trip. No further problems with fuel system. In summary I think the aircraft had a fold(south) in 1 or both of the tanks reducing total capacity. Gauges are now calibrated but will receive attention at the next annual--need to watch how much fuel goes in at each refueling. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter cites previous problems with other fuel tanks in other type aircraft over 20 yrs ago and never thought he would run into this problem again. A 2 hour flight around wichita established and confirmed a fuel use/burn rate. Pilot departed on his cross country trip after refueling. 2 2-HR legs were flown and the third leg was 2:44 with fuel running out at that time. Estimate that 11 gals of fuel trapped (1 hour's endurance). Folds in tanks were pointed out to pilot at airport of forced landing where fueler pointed out the design flaw as he was experienced with that type and vintage aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION ON A CROSS COUNTRY FERRY FLT. FORCED LNDG ON ARPT. NO DAMAGE.

Narrative: I PURCHASED THE ACFT THE DAY BEFORE (USED) IN WICHITA, KS. FLEW TO OKC FOR RON. TOPPED TANKS AT WICHITA AND OKLAHOMA CITY. PERSONALLY CHKED FULL AT DEP. ROUTE OF FLT WAS PLANNED DIRECT OKC TO PUB WITH VOR AID. HEADWIND COMPONENT FORECAST LESS THAN 10 KTS. TAS 140K. FUEL BURN WAS FORECAST AT 9.5 GPH WITH 40 GALS (3.0 UNUSABLE) OR ABOUT 3.9 HRS ENDURANCE. TKOF AT OKC WAS ON LEFT TANK, SWITCH TO RIGHT TANK AFTER 1 HR, BACK TO LEFT TANK AFTER 1 HR. WE ARE NOW AT 2+00 ON THE LEFT TANK. AT 2+29 I WAS READY TO SWITCH AGAIN AND THE ENG QUIT. I SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND THE ENG CAUGHT. I STARTED DSCNT AND WAS CLRED TO ENTER A LONG RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8. 10 MINS LATER (TOTAL 2.7) 5 MI E, THE ENG QUIT AGAIN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I INFORMED THE TWR AND WAS CLRED FOR STRAIGHT IN TO 26R. I TRIED TO HOLD 105 (BEST GLIDE) BUT IT WAS QUITE EMPTY. I PLANNED LONG AND EXTENDED THE GEAR ABOUT 1000' AGL. I STARTED FLAPS DOWN. T/D WAS ABOUT 2000' DOWN AND I MADE THE FIRST HIGH SPD TURNOFF. GAUGES HAD BEEN BOUNCY IN THE AIR NOW SHOWED EMPTY. LEFT TANK HAD SOME FUEL BUT OUTBOARD OF A VISIBLE FOLD AND UNABLE TO ACCESS, I GUESS. WE USED A STICK AND SOME AIR (TO BLOW UP THE TANK) TO REDUCE THE FOLD AND PUT 38 GALS IN THE ACFT. I FLEW MAX 2 HRS LEGS THE NEXT DAY TO VERIFY FUEL BURN AND CAPACITY. BACK TO NORMAL OPERATION FOR REST OF THE TRIP. NO FURTHER PROBS WITH FUEL SYS. IN SUMMARY I THINK THE ACFT HAD A FOLD(S) IN 1 OR BOTH OF THE TANKS REDUCING TOTAL CAPACITY. GAUGES ARE NOW CALIBRATED BUT WILL RECEIVE ATTN AT THE NEXT ANNUAL--NEED TO WATCH HOW MUCH FUEL GOES IN AT EACH REFUELING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CITES PREVIOUS PROBS WITH OTHER FUEL TANKS IN OTHER TYPE ACFT OVER 20 YRS AGO AND NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD RUN INTO THIS PROB AGAIN. A 2 HR FLT AROUND WICHITA ESTABLISHED AND CONFIRMED A FUEL USE/BURN RATE. PLT DEPARTED ON HIS CROSS COUNTRY TRIP AFTER REFUELING. 2 2-HR LEGS WERE FLOWN AND THE THIRD LEG WAS 2:44 WITH FUEL RUNNING OUT AT THAT TIME. ESTIMATE THAT 11 GALS OF FUEL TRAPPED (1 HR'S ENDURANCE). FOLDS IN TANKS WERE POINTED OUT TO PLT AT ARPT OF FORCED LNDG WHERE FUELER POINTED OUT THE DESIGN FLAW AS HE WAS EXPERIENCED WITH THAT TYPE AND VINTAGE ACFT.

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.