Small aircraft executes off airport landing due fuel exhaustion during descent.

Attributes
ACN	120606
Time
Date	198908
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gte
State Reference	NE
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 3900
ASRS Report	120606
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Completed photo session and started let down to gte for fuel and lunch break. Shortly after lowering nose noticed engine failure. Went through restart with no response. With gte in sight, it was questionable if a safe landing would be possible as the airport was on the other side of town. So, I elected to make a precautionary landing on highway about 4 mi west of gte. There was no property damage nor injuries of any kind. Possible cause of engine failure: when the nose was lowered for descent, gas drained to front of tank causing fuel starvation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXECUTES OFF ARPT LNDG DUE FUEL EXHAUSTION DURING DESCENT.

Narrative: COMPLETED PHOTO SESSION AND STARTED LET DOWN TO GTE FOR FUEL AND LUNCH BREAK. SHORTLY AFTER LOWERING NOSE NOTICED ENG FAILURE. WENT THROUGH RESTART WITH NO RESPONSE. WITH GTE IN SIGHT, IT WAS QUESTIONABLE IF A SAFE LNDG WOULD BE POSSIBLE AS THE ARPT WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN. SO, I ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON HWY ABOUT 4 MI W OF GTE. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE NOR INJURIES OF ANY KIND. POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE: WHEN THE NOSE WAS LOWERED FOR DSCNT, GAS DRAINED TO FRONT OF TANK CAUSING FUEL STARVATION.

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.