Narrative:

I have owned this aircraft 6 yrs and have flown it more than 300 hours, most all of which were cross country, out to the maximum range of 3:00 hours. I always operate at 3600-3700 RPM (75-80% power) and have not burned more than 7.0 gph. 7 gph and 22.5 gals usable fuel will yield 3:15 minimum range. On this trip I was delivering the plane to its new owner in tulsa, ok. The first leg was atw to irk. The 350 SM trip was planned for 2:45. I never fly more than 3:00 without being in front of the fuel pumps at 2:59. In addition, I had 12 additional gals of contingency fuel in the aft cabin in case fuel/fuelers were not available, which is often the case at country airports. The trip was normal until I started the descent to irk when the engine quit. The WX was clear. Temperature -17 degrees F at 4500' press 30.45, winds 300 at 17 KTS on the surface. A normal landing was made on the taxiway parallel to runway 36. The taxiway was used because little airplanes can land on them (safely), consequently the airport wouldn't be closed because of a disabled light airplane on the only runway. The aircraft was towed to a heated hangar where a mechanic checked the carburetor, etc. The aircraft was fueled with 23.9 gals of fuel. The fuel consumption was 8.39 gph for 2:51 mins, 20% above normal. 4 factors contributed to this incident: 1) a new yellow tagged carburetor was installed just before this trip. The float setting and mixture may have been set high. 2) extreme WX conditions (-17 degrees and 30.45 press) created a density altitude of sea level to minus 2000', creating estimated 10% higher fuel flow. 3) fuel gauges in light aircraft are useless -- one can only guess how much fuel remains after 2 hours. 4) 2.1 gals fuel remained in the tanks. Water in the fuel may have formed ice on the vent and main line at low levels, causing starvation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not have too much to add to statement. Carburetor heat was used when he started down and engine just very slowly came back in power, as if he had pulled the throttle back. It revved up and down and then stopped. He believes that either the ports in tank were exposed, or there was residual water that froze as outside air temperature was -27 degrees F. Unicom personnel weren't upset with the fact that he had landed on taxiway. Wind chill factor on ground was -50 degrees F. Reporter was upset with himself as he had removed his survival gear from aircraft prior to flight, as this was a ferry sale flight for aircraft. Tank cap is 26 gals on this aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIENCED SMA PLT REPORTS A NUMBER OF FACTORS AS POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. ENROUTE TEMPERATURES, POSSIBLE FREEZING OF WATER IN FUEL, NEW CARBURETOR WITH ABOVE NORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION, AND FURTHER STATES THAT SMA FUEL GAUGES IN GENERAL ARE UNRELIABLE. MAKES FORCED, EMERGENCY LNDG AT DESTINATION ARPT ON TXWY.

Narrative: I HAVE OWNED THIS ACFT 6 YRS AND HAVE FLOWN IT MORE THAN 300 HRS, MOST ALL OF WHICH WERE CROSS COUNTRY, OUT TO THE MAX RANGE OF 3:00 HRS. I ALWAYS OPERATE AT 3600-3700 RPM (75-80% PWR) AND HAVE NOT BURNED MORE THAN 7.0 GPH. 7 GPH AND 22.5 GALS USABLE FUEL WILL YIELD 3:15 MINIMUM RANGE. ON THIS TRIP I WAS DELIVERING THE PLANE TO ITS NEW OWNER IN TULSA, OK. THE FIRST LEG WAS ATW TO IRK. THE 350 SM TRIP WAS PLANNED FOR 2:45. I NEVER FLY MORE THAN 3:00 WITHOUT BEING IN FRONT OF THE FUEL PUMPS AT 2:59. IN ADDITION, I HAD 12 ADDITIONAL GALS OF CONTINGENCY FUEL IN THE AFT CABIN IN CASE FUEL/FUELERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, WHICH IS OFTEN THE CASE AT COUNTRY ARPTS. THE TRIP WAS NORMAL UNTIL I STARTED THE DSCNT TO IRK WHEN THE ENG QUIT. THE WX WAS CLEAR. TEMP -17 DEGS F AT 4500' PRESS 30.45, WINDS 300 AT 17 KTS ON THE SURFACE. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE ON THE TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY 36. THE TXWY WAS USED BECAUSE LITTLE AIRPLANES CAN LAND ON THEM (SAFELY), CONSEQUENTLY THE ARPT WOULDN'T BE CLOSED BECAUSE OF A DISABLED LIGHT AIRPLANE ON THE ONLY RWY. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO A HEATED HANGAR WHERE A MECH CHKED THE CARB, ETC. THE ACFT WAS FUELED WITH 23.9 GALS OF FUEL. THE FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS 8.39 GPH FOR 2:51 MINS, 20% ABOVE NORMAL. 4 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT: 1) A NEW YELLOW TAGGED CARB WAS INSTALLED JUST BEFORE THIS TRIP. THE FLOAT SETTING AND MIXTURE MAY HAVE BEEN SET HIGH. 2) EXTREME WX CONDITIONS (-17 DEGS AND 30.45 PRESS) CREATED A DENSITY ALT OF SEA LEVEL TO MINUS 2000', CREATING ESTIMATED 10% HIGHER FUEL FLOW. 3) FUEL GAUGES IN LIGHT ACFT ARE USELESS -- ONE CAN ONLY GUESS HOW MUCH FUEL REMAINS AFTER 2 HRS. 4) 2.1 GALS FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANKS. WATER IN THE FUEL MAY HAVE FORMED ICE ON THE VENT AND MAIN LINE AT LOW LEVELS, CAUSING STARVATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH TO ADD TO STATEMENT. CARB HEAT WAS USED WHEN HE STARTED DOWN AND ENG JUST VERY SLOWLY CAME BACK IN PWR, AS IF HE HAD PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK. IT REVVED UP AND DOWN AND THEN STOPPED. HE BELIEVES THAT EITHER THE PORTS IN TANK WERE EXPOSED, OR THERE WAS RESIDUAL WATER THAT FROZE AS OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -27 DEGS F. UNICOM PERSONNEL WEREN'T UPSET WITH THE FACT THAT HE HAD LANDED ON TXWY. WIND CHILL FACTOR ON GND WAS -50 DEGS F. RPTR WAS UPSET WITH HIMSELF AS HE HAD REMOVED HIS SURVIVAL GEAR FROM ACFT PRIOR TO FLT, AS THIS WAS A FERRY SALE FLT FOR ACFT. TANK CAP IS 26 GALS ON THIS ACFT.

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.