Narrative:

As I was approaching the greenville spartanburg airport on an IFR trip from goldsboro, nc, I noticed my right side fuel gauge was showing a zero fuel indication. The left side showed 1/2 tank indication. I never burned fuel from the left side, I simply forgot to switch tanks from right to left. I had burned all the fuel from the right tank without switching tanks. I landed on a hard surfaced road (SC378) about 4 NM northeast of the airport. I never attempted to switch tanks, in fact, I hadn't thought about it until 30 mins after I was on the ground. The outcome was not too bad. The 2-LANE road was narrow enough for me to hit 2 mail boxes, one on each side of the road before coming to a stop. In the process, I declared an emergency and confessed my condition as being 'zero fuel at this time.' the only damage to the airplane was a 6' X 10' hole at the left wingtip fairing and the navigation light and strobe were demolished. Also, the pitot tube plumbing was separated inside the left wing. The right wingtip sustained about a 6-7' crack on the upper side adjacent to the navigation light. Factors of my forgetfulness: used to flying 'hi winged small aircraft's' where both tanks feed. A sense of well-being where flight management is concerned (complacency). I believe that further instruction and emphasis can be placed on fuel management in an airplane such as this, on everyone's initial checkout in these aircraft from an instructor with plenty of experience in such aircraft. I will most definitely seek counseling concerning this experience, provided the owner and operator allow me to pilot this airplane again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: during callback, reporter indicated that the engine quit due to fuel starvation. The FAA is investigating the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL SYSTEM MISMANAGEMENT LEADS TO FORCED LNDG FOR PLT NEW TO SMA.

Narrative: AS I WAS APCHING THE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG ARPT ON AN IFR TRIP FROM GOLDSBORO, NC, I NOTICED MY RIGHT SIDE FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING A ZERO FUEL INDICATION. THE LEFT SIDE SHOWED 1/2 TANK INDICATION. I NEVER BURNED FUEL FROM THE LEFT SIDE, I SIMPLY FORGOT TO SWITCH TANKS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. I HAD BURNED ALL THE FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK WITHOUT SWITCHING TANKS. I LANDED ON A HARD SURFACED ROAD (SC378) ABOUT 4 NM NE OF THE ARPT. I NEVER ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TANKS, IN FACT, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT UNTIL 30 MINS AFTER I WAS ON THE GND. THE OUTCOME WAS NOT TOO BAD. THE 2-LANE ROAD WAS NARROW ENOUGH FOR ME TO HIT 2 MAIL BOXES, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. IN THE PROCESS, I DECLARED AN EMER AND CONFESSED MY CONDITION AS BEING 'ZERO FUEL AT THIS TIME.' THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS A 6' X 10' HOLE AT THE LEFT WINGTIP FAIRING AND THE NAV LIGHT AND STROBE WERE DEMOLISHED. ALSO, THE PITOT TUBE PLUMBING WAS SEPARATED INSIDE THE LEFT WING. THE RIGHT WINGTIP SUSTAINED ABOUT A 6-7' CRACK ON THE UPPER SIDE ADJACENT TO THE NAV LIGHT. FACTORS OF MY FORGETFULNESS: USED TO FLYING 'HI WINGED SMA'S' WHERE BOTH TANKS FEED. A SENSE OF WELL-BEING WHERE FLT MGMNT IS CONCERNED (COMPLACENCY). I BELIEVE THAT FURTHER INSTRUCTION AND EMPHASIS CAN BE PLACED ON FUEL MGMNT IN AN AIRPLANE SUCH AS THIS, ON EVERYONE'S INITIAL CHECKOUT IN THESE ACFT FROM AN INSTRUCTOR WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE IN SUCH ACFT. I WILL MOST DEFINITELY SEEK COUNSELING CONCERNING THIS EXPERIENCE, PROVIDED THE OWNER AND OPERATOR ALLOW ME TO PLT THIS AIRPLANE AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DURING CALLBACK, REPORTER INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.