Narrative:

When landing at pao after an extended flight from cheyenne, wy, with landing for fuel at st george, ut, the engine quit on short approach. Apparent cause was fuel exhaustion on short approach. We left st george with full fuel, sufficient to fly to pao with reserves. Tanks were switched from right to left after 2 hours, 20 mins, with only 2 hours remaining for the trip. Power was about 55% due to altitude putting fuel burn at 8 gph. Distrs due to conflicting traffic when on approach to pao, plus controller mix up interfered with thorough prelndg checklist and fuel gauges were not checked. That, plus confidence in having sufficient fuel, caused accident. Solution would appear to be sure to go through entire checklist. No injuries--plane was moderately damaged. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the flight was 4 hours, 20 mins duration. Refuel figure was 37.3 gals and reporter assumed that tanks were filled. He does admit that his preflight was not as thorough as it should have been, such as visually checking the tanks for being full since a front was approaching and he was anxious to depart. The tanks hold 52 gals. The tanks, at departure, registered 1/8 from full, which he stated was normal indication. A 4 hour, 20 min flight plan was considered from sgu to pao, and figuring 8.6 gals per hour, his fuel burn would have been the same as previous leg, 37.3 gals. He further stated that upon arrival into the bay area, he was vectored too much, which added another 7 mins to the air time. The approach into pao was a long drag-in type because of following traffic and trying to keep spacing. The last recollection he had of the fuel readings were that the tanks showed 1/8 from empty. He thought he had about 15 gals on board. He was very surprised when the engine stopped at 100', just 500' short of the runway. Aircraft landed in the mud flats. At this time, though he believes that there is fuel in the tanks, he does not know how much, and will have the tanks checked for remaining amount. He does feel that there could be some adjusting done to the fuel measuring system. One factor of overriding concern to the reporter was the pressure he was under to get to see his son at the hospital in palo alto. Already paralyzed from an accident, he had recently suffered a heart attack from the trauma of the earthquake. Reporter felt that this was a subtle factor involving his emotions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS SHORT OF RWY ON DRAG-IN FINAL APCH AFTER 4 HOUR, 27 MINUTE FLT.

Narrative: WHEN LNDG AT PAO AFTER AN EXTENDED FLT FROM CHEYENNE, WY, WITH LNDG FOR FUEL AT ST GEORGE, UT, THE ENG QUIT ON SHORT APCH. APPARENT CAUSE WAS FUEL EXHAUSTION ON SHORT APCH. WE LEFT ST GEORGE WITH FULL FUEL, SUFFICIENT TO FLY TO PAO WITH RESERVES. TANKS WERE SWITCHED FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AFTER 2 HRS, 20 MINS, WITH ONLY 2 HRS REMAINING FOR THE TRIP. PWR WAS ABOUT 55% DUE TO ALT PUTTING FUEL BURN AT 8 GPH. DISTRS DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC WHEN ON APCH TO PAO, PLUS CTLR MIX UP INTERFERED WITH THOROUGH PRELNDG CHKLIST AND FUEL GAUGES WERE NOT CHKED. THAT, PLUS CONFIDENCE IN HAVING SUFFICIENT FUEL, CAUSED ACCIDENT. SOLUTION WOULD APPEAR TO BE SURE TO GO THROUGH ENTIRE CHKLIST. NO INJURIES--PLANE WAS MODERATELY DAMAGED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FLT WAS 4 HRS, 20 MINS DURATION. REFUEL FIGURE WAS 37.3 GALS AND RPTR ASSUMED THAT TANKS WERE FILLED. HE DOES ADMIT THAT HIS PREFLT WAS NOT AS THOROUGH AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, SUCH AS VISUALLY CHKING THE TANKS FOR BEING FULL SINCE A FRONT WAS APCHING AND HE WAS ANXIOUS TO DEPART. THE TANKS HOLD 52 GALS. THE TANKS, AT DEP, REGISTERED 1/8 FROM FULL, WHICH HE STATED WAS NORMAL INDICATION. A 4 HR, 20 MIN FLT PLAN WAS CONSIDERED FROM SGU TO PAO, AND FIGURING 8.6 GALS PER HR, HIS FUEL BURN WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME AS PREVIOUS LEG, 37.3 GALS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT UPON ARR INTO THE BAY AREA, HE WAS VECTORED TOO MUCH, WHICH ADDED ANOTHER 7 MINS TO THE AIR TIME. THE APCH INTO PAO WAS A LONG DRAG-IN TYPE BECAUSE OF FOLLOWING TFC AND TRYING TO KEEP SPACING. THE LAST RECOLLECTION HE HAD OF THE FUEL READINGS WERE THAT THE TANKS SHOWED 1/8 FROM EMPTY. HE THOUGHT HE HAD ABOUT 15 GALS ON BOARD. HE WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN THE ENG STOPPED AT 100', JUST 500' SHORT OF THE RWY. ACFT LANDED IN THE MUD FLATS. AT THIS TIME, THOUGH HE BELIEVES THAT THERE IS FUEL IN THE TANKS, HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW MUCH, AND WILL HAVE THE TANKS CHKED FOR REMAINING AMOUNT. HE DOES FEEL THAT THERE COULD BE SOME ADJUSTING DONE TO THE FUEL MEASURING SYS. ONE FACTOR OF OVERRIDING CONCERN TO THE RPTR WAS THE PRESSURE HE WAS UNDER TO GET TO SEE HIS SON AT THE HOSPITAL IN PALO ALTO. ALREADY PARALYZED FROM AN ACCIDENT, HE HAD RECENTLY SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK FROM THE TRAUMA OF THE EARTHQUAKE. RPTR FELT THAT THIS WAS A SUBTLE FACTOR INVOLVING HIS EMOTIONS.

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.