Light aircraft runs out of fuel 2 hours into 6 hour fuel tanks. Pilot deadsticks to a safe landing.

Attributes
ACN	119727
Time
Date	198908
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : avl
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : avl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	119727
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I experienced fuel starvation in my small aircraft at 8500', 5 mi west of ashville, nc airport due to fuel siphoning. I had flown about 2 hours since my last refueling and should have had 4 1/2 hours fuel remaining. The fuel gauges were reading approximately 3/4 full when the engine began acting up. Avl approach vectored me through a layer of scattered to broken clouds (some 3500 AGL) to avl airport where I landed without incident, but did not have sufficient fuel remaining to taxi in for service. I later learned that one of the line men had loosened both fuel caps, and failed to secure them, after my thorough preflight inspection. At the time of the fuel starvation, both gauges were indicating approximately 3/4 full, in spite of the fact that virtually all fuel had been siphoned overboard during the 1 hour flight. Upon refueling we were to learn that the rubber fuel bladders were sucked up to the bottom of the filler necks, causing the false fuel reading. I found both fuel caps off, attached to chains.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIGHT ACFT RUNS OUT OF FUEL 2 HOURS INTO 6 HOUR FUEL TANKS. PLT DEADSTICKS TO A SAFE LNDG.

Narrative: I EXPERIENCED FUEL STARVATION IN MY SMA AT 8500', 5 MI W OF ASHVILLE, NC ARPT DUE TO FUEL SIPHONING. I HAD FLOWN ABOUT 2 HRS SINCE MY LAST REFUELING AND SHOULD HAVE HAD 4 1/2 HRS FUEL REMAINING. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE READING APPROX 3/4 FULL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN ACTING UP. AVL APCH VECTORED ME THROUGH A LAYER OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS (SOME 3500 AGL) TO AVL ARPT WHERE I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL REMAINING TO TAXI IN FOR SERVICE. I LATER LEARNED THAT ONE OF THE LINE MEN HAD LOOSENED BOTH FUEL CAPS, AND FAILED TO SECURE THEM, AFTER MY THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION. AT THE TIME OF THE FUEL STARVATION, BOTH GAUGES WERE INDICATING APPROX 3/4 FULL, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT VIRTUALLY ALL FUEL HAD BEEN SIPHONED OVERBOARD DURING THE 1 HR FLT. UPON REFUELING WE WERE TO LEARN THAT THE RUBBER FUEL BLADDERS WERE SUCKED UP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FILLER NECKS, CAUSING THE FALSE FUEL READING. I FOUND BOTH FUEL CAPS OFF, ATTACHED TO CHAINS.

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.