Pilot of small aircraft ran out of fuel--made successful landing in hay field.

Attributes
ACN	126081
Time
Date	198910
Place
Locale Reference	airport : efk
State Reference	VT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 138
ASRS Report	126081
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Problem of fuel exhaustion caused by my lack of knowledge as to fuel tank construction. What I was looking at during preflight was a level some 4-4 1/2' down the fill pipe and I was calling it full tanks. Turns out that full tanks are to the rim of the fill pipe. Ran out of fuel some 3 NM northeast of newport, vt, where I had planned to refuel. Decided it would be dangerous for people in newport if flight was continued, so elected to put down in a lovely alfalfa patch. No injury/no damage of any kind. Called the owner facility in burlington, vt. Chief pilot and operations manager flew up with fuel and the chief pilot flew the aircraft back to burlington, vt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA RAN OUT OF FUEL--MADE SUCCESSFUL LNDG IN HAY FIELD.

Narrative: PROB OF FUEL EXHAUSTION CAUSED BY MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AS TO FUEL TANK CONSTRUCTION. WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT DURING PREFLT WAS A LEVEL SOME 4-4 1/2' DOWN THE FILL PIPE AND I WAS CALLING IT FULL TANKS. TURNS OUT THAT FULL TANKS ARE TO THE RIM OF THE FILL PIPE. RAN OUT OF FUEL SOME 3 NM NE OF NEWPORT, VT, WHERE I HAD PLANNED TO REFUEL. DECIDED IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE IN NEWPORT IF FLT WAS CONTINUED, SO ELECTED TO PUT DOWN IN A LOVELY ALFALFA PATCH. NO INJURY/NO DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. CALLED THE OWNER FAC IN BURLINGTON, VT. CHIEF PLT AND OPS MGR FLEW UP WITH FUEL AND THE CHIEF PLT FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO BURLINGTON, VT.

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.