Narrative:

I was on a dual instructional flight for a students 250 NM IFR x-country, when we experienced a forced landing due to fuel starvation. The problem arose due to my not adequately checking that the students preflight included topped fuel tanks, in summer my FBO routinely leaves the fuel at a reduced amount according to the student the tanks were only 2-3' down. Unfortunately I asked the student about this during the last leg of the flight. Some contributing factors were excessive holding during a VOR approach (4 turns) into casa grande, az. This was the students final flight prior to her chkride and I had already made the decision that her performance was substandard and she would need additional training, based on her holding problem. I was very agitated with her because she had neglected to fly for 1 month prior to this flight due to financial problems. We departed casa grande for the return to phoenix deer valley when I noticed a potential fuel problem. I determined through calculations that we should have had sufficient fuel for a direct return to deer valley and aborted the third approach (nob runway 25L out) that had been planned. Over phoenix sky harbor and while under TCA control I switched to left fuel only to avoid completely draining the tanks if my calculations were based on incorrect fuel amounts. The fuel gauges showed 1/4 tanks in each at this time. 10 mins later the left tank ran dry and I restarted on the right. The right tank ran approximately 5 mins more and I went to both tanks. I had requested a change of frequency and squawk from phx TRACON and had just contacted deer valley tower when I lost all power. I told them of my situation and we executed a successful forced landing. No injuries and a minor branch scrape on left wing tip. My primary mistake was not checking the fuel myself and then not realizing the potential problem earlier. My irritation with my student distracted me also. I was preoccupied with convincing her that she was not ready and I was anticipating a conflict with her over my impending decision to cancel her chkride. The FAA is investigating this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON IFR CROSS-COUNTRY RUN OUT OF FUEL, EXECUTE SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ON A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT FOR A STUDENTS 250 NM IFR X-COUNTRY, WHEN WE EXPERIENCED A FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO MY NOT ADEQUATELY CHKING THAT THE STUDENTS PREFLT INCLUDED TOPPED FUEL TANKS, IN SUMMER MY FBO ROUTINELY LEAVES THE FUEL AT A REDUCED AMOUNT ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT THE TANKS WERE ONLY 2-3' DOWN. UNFORTUNATELY I ASKED THE STUDENT ABOUT THIS DURING THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE EXCESSIVE HOLDING DURING A VOR APCH (4 TURNS) INTO CASA GRANDE, AZ. THIS WAS THE STUDENTS FINAL FLT PRIOR TO HER CHKRIDE AND I HAD ALREADY MADE THE DECISION THAT HER PERFORMANCE WAS SUBSTANDARD AND SHE WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL TRNING, BASED ON HER HOLDING PROB. I WAS VERY AGITATED WITH HER BECAUSE SHE HAD NEGLECTED TO FLY FOR 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THIS FLT DUE TO FINANCIAL PROBS. WE DEPARTED CASA GRANDE FOR THE RETURN TO PHOENIX DEER VALLEY WHEN I NOTICED A POTENTIAL FUEL PROB. I DETERMINED THROUGH CALCULATIONS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR A DIRECT RETURN TO DEER VALLEY AND ABORTED THE THIRD APCH (NOB RWY 25L OUT) THAT HAD BEEN PLANNED. OVER PHOENIX SKY HARBOR AND WHILE UNDER TCA CTL I SWITCHED TO L FUEL ONLY TO AVOID COMPLETELY DRAINING THE TANKS IF MY CALCULATIONS WERE BASED ON INCORRECT FUEL AMOUNTS. THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 1/4 TANKS IN EACH AT THIS TIME. 10 MINS LATER THE L TANK RAN DRY AND I RESTARTED ON THE R. THE R TANK RAN APPROX 5 MINS MORE AND I WENT TO BOTH TANKS. I HAD REQUESTED A CHANGE OF FREQ AND SQUAWK FROM PHX TRACON AND HAD JUST CONTACTED DEER VALLEY TWR WHEN I LOST ALL PWR. I TOLD THEM OF MY SITUATION AND WE EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG. NO INJURIES AND A MINOR BRANCH SCRAPE ON L WING TIP. MY PRIMARY MISTAKE WAS NOT CHKING THE FUEL MYSELF AND THEN NOT REALIZING THE POTENTIAL PROB EARLIER. MY IRRITATION WITH MY STUDENT DISTRACTED ME ALSO. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH CONVINCING HER THAT SHE WAS NOT READY AND I WAS ANTICIPATING A CONFLICT WITH HER OVER MY IMPENDING DECISION TO CANCEL HER CHKRIDE. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING THIS 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.