Narrative:

My wife and I rented an small aircraft for the purpose of aerial photography, our full-time business. When scheduling the plane, I requested that it be fueled as soon as it landed from flight prior to ours. During preflight I removed the cap and stuck 2 fingers into the tank. I replaced the cap convinced that I felt fuel to the top. On run-up I used the checklist glued to right door post. Incredibly, I did not look at fuel quantity indicators. Flying at 1000' AGL, I was focused on the photo job, setting up the shots and scanning for traffic. My wife was also looking for traffic. One place I didn't look, unfortunately, was at the fuel gauges. We were 40 mins into the flight at the first sputter. I pulled carburetor heat and scanned the panel, astonished to find the fuel gauges on zero. In disbelief, I looked at the wings expecting to see fuel pouring out of some sort of rupture. Rocking the wins and pitching up and down slightly kept the engine running while I tried to reach a small airport. With only 1/2 mi to go to be within gliding distance of the airport, the engine quit completely. I landed on a hard dirt road through the center of a large cotton field. The few witnesses evidently considered the landing routine and intentional, a common occurrence in the agricultural community. A friend soon brought ten gallons of 100LL. With my wife and cameras in his car, I returned the plane to its base. The takeoff was over uninhabited farmland. This disturbing and embarrassing incident is the first such occurrence in 31 yrs of flying, much of it as a professional pilot. It is obvious that I was complacent and inattentive, my thoughts on the photo work. My strong expectation was to find full tanks, and somehow believed I felt gas at the top. That I didn't visly confirm it, and didn't check the fuel quantity indicators becomes more unbelievable every time I think about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT FUEL EXHAUSTION. FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I RENTED AN SMA FOR THE PURPOSE OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, OUR FULL-TIME BUSINESS. WHEN SCHEDULING THE PLANE, I REQUESTED THAT IT BE FUELED AS SOON AS IT LANDED FROM FLT PRIOR TO OURS. DURING PREFLT I REMOVED THE CAP AND STUCK 2 FINGERS INTO THE TANK. I REPLACED THE CAP CONVINCED THAT I FELT FUEL TO THE TOP. ON RUN-UP I USED THE CHKLIST GLUED TO R DOOR POST. INCREDIBLY, I DID NOT LOOK AT FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS. FLYING AT 1000' AGL, I WAS FOCUSED ON THE PHOTO JOB, SETTING UP THE SHOTS AND SCANNING FOR TFC. MY WIFE WAS ALSO LOOKING FOR TFC. ONE PLACE I DIDN'T LOOK, UNFORTUNATELY, WAS AT THE FUEL GAUGES. WE WERE 40 MINS INTO THE FLT AT THE FIRST SPUTTER. I PULLED CARB HEAT AND SCANNED THE PANEL, ASTONISHED TO FIND THE FUEL GAUGES ON ZERO. IN DISBELIEF, I LOOKED AT THE WINGS EXPECTING TO SEE FUEL POURING OUT OF SOME SORT OF RUPTURE. ROCKING THE WINS AND PITCHING UP AND DOWN SLIGHTLY KEPT THE ENG RUNNING WHILE I TRIED TO REACH A SMALL ARPT. WITH ONLY 1/2 MI TO GO TO BE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE ARPT, THE ENG QUIT COMPLETELY. I LANDED ON A HARD DIRT ROAD THROUGH THE CTR OF A LARGE COTTON FIELD. THE FEW WITNESSES EVIDENTLY CONSIDERED THE LNDG ROUTINE AND INTENTIONAL, A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY. A FRIEND SOON BROUGHT TEN GALLONS OF 100LL. WITH MY WIFE AND CAMERAS IN HIS CAR, I RETURNED THE PLANE TO ITS BASE. THE TKOF WAS OVER UNINHABITED FARMLAND. THIS DISTURBING AND EMBARRASSING INCIDENT IS THE FIRST SUCH OCCURRENCE IN 31 YRS OF FLYING, MUCH OF IT AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT I WAS COMPLACENT AND INATTENTIVE, MY THOUGHTS ON THE PHOTO WORK. MY STRONG EXPECTATION WAS TO FIND FULL TANKS, AND SOMEHOW BELIEVED I FELT GAS AT THE TOP. THAT I DIDN'T VISLY CONFIRM IT, AND DIDN'T CHK THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS BECOMES MORE UNBELIEVABLE EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT.

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.