Off airport landing due to fuel exhaustion in right tank which did not indicate empty--in fact indic...

Narrative:

Before leaving lawrence, ks, I filled up both tanks, did not preflight, obtained a WX briefing, and filed my flight plan. The wind was out of the west at 10 KTS, giving me a headwind. I took that into consideration when computing my ETA's at chkpoints along the route. We departed lawrence at approximately xx local time. I flew on the left tank for 2 hours and then switched to the right tank. After flying for 3.7 hours I was headed for flagler to refuel. At that time I was flying at 1500' AGL. With the sun going down, that gave me the greatest visibility. The fuel gauges showed 10 gals of fuel in the right tank and 5 in the left. Even though I know not to completely trust the fuel gauge readings, they did agree with my consumption calculations. I thought I still have. 7 hours of fly time and a 30 min reserve still remaining. The engine started to sputter and then quit. I was able to restart it momentarily. At this time we were east of siebert and north of a filed. I established my glide speed and headed for the field to my left. By this time I was over the east end of town on base turning final. When the engine quit I was running on the right tank. Since I was so low to the ground and since I also thought that there should be more fuel in the right tank, my first priorities were getting to the field. There wasn't enough time to switch tanks to check and see if that would do it. Knowing I should have had more fuel in the right tank, then in the left, I opted for making a safe landing off field that diverting my attention to switching tanks. Once on the ground, it was determined that the left tank contained 6-7 gals of usable fuel while the right tank was dry. Total fuel on board was 50 gals, 48 gals usable. The plane's performance charts show fuel consumption at 8-10 gph. Based on that, I should have had a 4.5 hour endurance plus a 30 min reserve. Based on the time I actually was en route, 3.7 hours, the endurance was shorter than what was to be expected.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION IN RIGHT TANK WHICH DID NOT INDICATE EMPTY--IN FACT INDICATED MORE FUEL THAN LEFT TANK. NO INJURIES. MINOR NOSE GEAR DAMAGE.

Narrative: BEFORE LEAVING LAWRENCE, KS, I FILLED UP BOTH TANKS, DID NOT PREFLT, OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING, AND FILED MY FLT PLAN. THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE W AT 10 KTS, GIVING ME A HEADWIND. I TOOK THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN COMPUTING MY ETA'S AT CHKPOINTS ALONG THE ROUTE. WE DEPARTED LAWRENCE AT APPROX XX LCL TIME. I FLEW ON THE LEFT TANK FOR 2 HRS AND THEN SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK. AFTER FLYING FOR 3.7 HRS I WAS HEADED FOR FLAGLER TO REFUEL. AT THAT TIME I WAS FLYING AT 1500' AGL. WITH THE SUN GOING DOWN, THAT GAVE ME THE GREATEST VISIBILITY. THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 10 GALS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND 5 IN THE LEFT. EVEN THOUGH I KNOW NOT TO COMPLETELY TRUST THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS, THEY DID AGREE WITH MY CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. I THOUGHT I STILL HAVE. 7 HRS OF FLY TIME AND A 30 MIN RESERVE STILL REMAINING. THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER AND THEN QUIT. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT MOMENTARILY. AT THIS TIME WE WERE E OF SIEBERT AND N OF A FILED. I ESTABLISHED MY GLIDE SPD AND HEADED FOR THE FIELD TO MY LEFT. BY THIS TIME I WAS OVER THE E END OF TOWN ON BASE TURNING FINAL. WHEN THE ENG QUIT I WAS RUNNING ON THE RIGHT TANK. SINCE I WAS SO LOW TO THE GND AND SINCE I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK, MY FIRST PRIORITIES WERE GETTING TO THE FIELD. THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO SWITCH TANKS TO CHK AND SEE IF THAT WOULD DO IT. KNOWING I SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK, THEN IN THE LEFT, I OPTED FOR MAKING A SAFE LNDG OFF FIELD THAT DIVERTING MY ATTN TO SWITCHING TANKS. ONCE ON THE GND, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED 6-7 GALS OF USABLE FUEL WHILE THE RIGHT TANK WAS DRY. TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD WAS 50 GALS, 48 GALS USABLE. THE PLANE'S PERFORMANCE CHARTS SHOW FUEL CONSUMPTION AT 8-10 GPH. BASED ON THAT, I SHOULD HAVE HAD A 4.5 HR ENDURANCE PLUS A 30 MIN RESERVE. BASED ON THE TIME I ACTUALLY WAS ENRTE, 3.7 HRS, THE ENDURANCE WAS SHORTER THAN WHAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	111847
Time
Date	198905
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 3v3 airport : lwc
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 180 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	111847
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Off airport landing due to fuel exhaustion in right tank which did not indicate empty--in fact indicated more fuel than left tank. No injuries. Minor nose gear damage.