Narrative:

En route to jackpot, nv, approached btm fuel stop near 03 degree right VOR at 12500' altitude began let down lost VOR signal, relied upon visibility contact and chart reference based upon same route experience. Clock time indicated 1/2 hour fuel remaining. Mid-day lost power 2000' AGL, cleared the next mountain range by 50' with 2000' AGL altitude over large flat valley. Accepted dirt road as next landing site in preference to wavy surface with low bush. Successful landing, no damage, major desolation. Taxi maneuver produced damage to left wing leading edge at fence post including bent nose gear fork. Propeller survived (miracle). Pilot walked 6 hours into darkness, laid down 5 hours, walked 2 hours. Then found by cattle rancher. Rancher assisted with breakfast, radio phone, 10 gallons fuel. Next day early am, pilot and rancher surveyed damage and loaded 10 gal fuel. Taxi 5 mi to next available road run which was flat, wide, straight enough to takeoff. Applied full power, got off, flew over mountain ridge to btm airport, normal landing. Next day, normal takeoff, destination rio linda airport near sacramento, ca. All flight characteristics of aircraft normal. Opened VFR flight plan, transmitted 3 PIREPS to reno FSS. Decided to load fuel, eat at reno cannon. Normal landing and taxi. Unknowingly parked directly in front of western regulation FSDO. Had a sandwich, paid fuel bill. Notified by ramp attendant to await FAA visit. Inspector and manager surveyed damage. An instant conference was held in their board room with pilot and 4 FAA representatives. Aircraft papers were found to be in order except third class. Medical examination is one yr overdue. Event was found to be an incident, not an accident. Safety inspector and pilot surveyed damage in further detail. The level of required repair to qualify for a ferry permit was stated. Aircraft was taxied to transient tie down on FBO ramp. Fourth day, pilot completed arrangements to complete minimum repairs and depart. Fifth day, owner received notice from FAA reno that small aircraft taxied into reporter aircraft, did major damage. There is a lot of luck going on here, but I am not sure which parts are good or bad. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states there are 3 things involved, forced landing, FAA ramp check and demolished aircraft. And there are 3 major reasons. Poor pilot technique, poor judgement, and complacency. He has really analyzed the events. When he lost the VOR navigation, he did not properly assess the wind direction or velocity and ended up 30 mi southeast of course. He could have made the airport and in fact had passed it when he ran out of fuel. Wishes he had then gone to a smaller airport, then the succeeding events would have been avoided. Pilot who taxied into his aircraft was reading charts while taxiing. Had gone down 2 empty tie down rows before colliding with reporter aircraft. Feels he had learned a great deal from his experiences. Things never to do again. He now has a current medical.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT OFF COURSE EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION, MAKES FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: ENRTE TO JACKPOT, NV, APCHED BTM FUEL STOP NEAR 03 DEG R VOR AT 12500' ALT BEGAN LET DOWN LOST VOR SIGNAL, RELIED UPON VIS CONTACT AND CHART REFERENCE BASED UPON SAME RTE EXPERIENCE. CLOCK TIME INDICATED 1/2 HR FUEL REMAINING. MID-DAY LOST PWR 2000' AGL, CLRED THE NEXT MOUNTAIN RANGE BY 50' WITH 2000' AGL ALT OVER LARGE FLAT VALLEY. ACCEPTED DIRT ROAD AS NEXT LNDG SITE IN PREFERENCE TO WAVY SURFACE WITH LOW BUSH. SUCCESSFUL LNDG, NO DAMAGE, MAJOR DESOLATION. TAXI MANEUVER PRODUCED DAMAGE TO L WING LEADING EDGE AT FENCE POST INCLUDING BENT NOSE GEAR FORK. PROP SURVIVED (MIRACLE). PLT WALKED 6 HRS INTO DARKNESS, LAID DOWN 5 HRS, WALKED 2 HRS. THEN FOUND BY CATTLE RANCHER. RANCHER ASSISTED WITH BREAKFAST, RADIO PHONE, 10 GALLONS FUEL. NEXT DAY EARLY AM, PLT AND RANCHER SURVEYED DAMAGE AND LOADED 10 GAL FUEL. TAXI 5 MI TO NEXT AVAILABLE ROAD RUN WHICH WAS FLAT, WIDE, STRAIGHT ENOUGH TO TKOF. APPLIED FULL PWR, GOT OFF, FLEW OVER MOUNTAIN RIDGE TO BTM ARPT, NORMAL LNDG. NEXT DAY, NORMAL TKOF, DEST RIO LINDA ARPT NEAR SACRAMENTO, CA. ALL FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF ACFT NORMAL. OPENED VFR FLT PLAN, XMITTED 3 PIREPS TO RENO FSS. DECIDED TO LOAD FUEL, EAT AT RENO CANNON. NORMAL LNDG AND TAXI. UNKNOWINGLY PARKED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF WESTERN REG FSDO. HAD A SANDWICH, PAID FUEL BILL. NOTIFIED BY RAMP ATTENDANT TO AWAIT FAA VISIT. INSPECTOR AND MGR SURVEYED DAMAGE. AN INSTANT CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN THEIR BOARD ROOM WITH PLT AND 4 FAA REPRESENTATIVES. ACFT PAPERS WERE FOUND TO BE IN ORDER EXCEPT THIRD CLASS. MEDICAL EXAM IS ONE YR OVERDUE. EVENT WAS FOUND TO BE AN INCIDENT, NOT AN ACCIDENT. SAFETY INSPECTOR AND PLT SURVEYED DAMAGE IN FURTHER DETAIL. THE LEVEL OF REQUIRED REPAIR TO QUALIFY FOR A FERRY PERMIT WAS STATED. ACFT WAS TAXIED TO TRANSIENT TIE DOWN ON FBO RAMP. FOURTH DAY, PLT COMPLETED ARRANGEMENTS TO COMPLETE MINIMUM REPAIRS AND DEPART. FIFTH DAY, OWNER RECEIVED NOTICE FROM FAA RENO THAT SMA TAXIED INTO RPTR ACFT, DID MAJOR DAMAGE. THERE IS A LOT OF LUCK GOING ON HERE, BUT I AM NOT SURE WHICH PARTS ARE GOOD OR BAD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THERE ARE 3 THINGS INVOLVED, FORCED LNDG, FAA RAMP CHK AND DEMOLISHED ACFT. AND THERE ARE 3 MAJOR REASONS. POOR PLT TECHNIQUE, POOR JUDGEMENT, AND COMPLACENCY. HE HAS REALLY ANALYZED THE EVENTS. WHEN HE LOST THE VOR NAV, HE DID NOT PROPERLY ASSESS THE WIND DIRECTION OR VELOCITY AND ENDED UP 30 MI SE OF COURSE. HE COULD HAVE MADE THE ARPT AND IN FACT HAD PASSED IT WHEN HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. WISHES HE HAD THEN GONE TO A SMALLER ARPT, THEN THE SUCCEEDING EVENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. PLT WHO TAXIED INTO HIS ACFT WAS READING CHARTS WHILE TAXIING. HAD GONE DOWN 2 EMPTY TIE DOWN ROWS BEFORE COLLIDING WITH RPTR ACFT. FEELS HE HAD LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM HIS EXPERIENCES. THINGS NEVER TO DO AGAIN. HE NOW HAS A CURRENT MEDICAL.

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.