Narrative:

The situation began while on an IFR flight in actual conditions at 5000' MSL. The engine began coughing. I quickly scanned the instruments to understand what caused the engine trouble. The RPM dropped to approximately 1500 and there was a loss of fuel pressure. Once the engine smoothed out I called rochester approach and told them I had engine trouble, but it seems to be resolved. ATC asked me if I would like to land, I said that I would like to wait and see what happens. A few seconds later the engine began to cough again, but a little worse than before. I called rochester approach and said that maybe I'd better land. I never declared an emergency. ATC then cleared me to dansville airport which was about 7 mi north of my position. After they cleared me, I did a prelndg (gumps) check. The first thing to be done was switch to the fullest tank. I then found that the problem was that the fuel tank being used was dry. I switched to the right tank which was almost full and the engine worked fine. At this point I told ATC that the problem was resolved and I would like to continue on my route. Rochester approach then cleared me direct buffalo. Considering winds, from where I was it should have taken about another hour to get to toronto, 15 mins to get back to buffalo if necessary, and I would have enough fuel for the 45 min reserve. The 20 gals of fuel which the gauge said was in the right tank should have been enough for the IFR requirements. When I passed buffalo and was 6 mi north of ysn in ontario, canada, I saw that there was a problem. I had only 5 gals of fuel in the right tank. I normally don't trust the fuel gauges, but this time I did. I elected to make a precautionary landing at the nearest airport. I never declared an emergency at ysn either. Toronto approach gave me radar vectors to intercept the bearing inbound an cleared me for the NDB approach into ysn. I executed the NDB approach and made a normal landing. I taxied off the runway and stopped in front of the terminal. I kept the aircraft running awaiting further instructions. After about 5 mins I decided to shut down the aircraft. When the aircraft was refueled, 182 liters was put in both tanks combined. That works out to approximately 48 gals. I did nothing wrong. I saw that the fuel consumption was not working out the way it should have, so I landed and refueled. During the flight, the mixture was leaned out about 3/4 back. I did nothing wrong and the FAA should not use my case as an example for other pilots for this reason. The FAA should spend their time enforcing more important regulations such as 'minimum safe altitudes' for VFR flight, which I see people violating quite often in the skies over my house. At least I could have made it to an airport if my engine stopped. If someone's aircraft engine stops when flying too low, people on the ground could be killed, and property destroyed. The FAA must have their priorities screwed up if they decide to prosecute a case such as mine instead of the other case I described.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IFR SMA PLT ELECTS TO LAND SHORT OF DESTINATION WHEN A LOW FUEL STATE IS RECOGNIZED.

Narrative: THE SITUATION BEGAN WHILE ON AN IFR FLT IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS AT 5000' MSL. THE ENG BEGAN COUGHING. I QUICKLY SCANNED THE INSTRUMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED THE ENG TROUBLE. THE RPM DROPPED TO APPROX 1500 AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE. ONCE THE ENG SMOOTHED OUT I CALLED ROCHESTER APCH AND TOLD THEM I HAD ENG TROUBLE, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE RESOLVED. ATC ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE TO LAND, I SAID THAT I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE ENG BEGAN TO COUGH AGAIN, BUT A LITTLE WORSE THAN BEFORE. I CALLED ROCHESTER APCH AND SAID THAT MAYBE I'D BETTER LAND. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER. ATC THEN CLRED ME TO DANSVILLE ARPT WHICH WAS ABOUT 7 MI N OF MY POS. AFTER THEY CLRED ME, I DID A PRELNDG (GUMPS) CHK. THE FIRST THING TO BE DONE WAS SWITCH TO THE FULLEST TANK. I THEN FOUND THAT THE PROB WAS THAT THE FUEL TANK BEING USED WAS DRY. I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK WHICH WAS ALMOST FULL AND THE ENG WORKED FINE. AT THIS POINT I TOLD ATC THAT THE PROB WAS RESOLVED AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ON MY RTE. ROCHESTER APCH THEN CLRED ME DIRECT BUFFALO. CONSIDERING WINDS, FROM WHERE I WAS IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ABOUT ANOTHER HR TO GET TO TORONTO, 15 MINS TO GET BACK TO BUFFALO IF NECESSARY, AND I WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE 45 MIN RESERVE. THE 20 GALS OF FUEL WHICH THE GAUGE SAID WAS IN THE R TANK SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR THE IFR REQUIREMENTS. WHEN I PASSED BUFFALO AND WAS 6 MI N OF YSN IN ONTARIO, CANADA, I SAW THAT THERE WAS A PROB. I HAD ONLY 5 GALS OF FUEL IN THE R TANK. I NORMALLY DON'T TRUST THE FUEL GAUGES, BUT THIS TIME I DID. I ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER AT YSN EITHER. TORONTO APCH GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE BEARING INBND AN CLRED ME FOR THE NDB APCH INTO YSN. I EXECUTED THE NDB APCH AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. I TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL. I KEPT THE ACFT RUNNING AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS I DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. WHEN THE ACFT WAS REFUELED, 182 LITERS WAS PUT IN BOTH TANKS COMBINED. THAT WORKS OUT TO APPROX 48 GALS. I DID NOTHING WRONG. I SAW THAT THE FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS NOT WORKING OUT THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE, SO I LANDED AND REFUELED. DURING THE FLT, THE MIXTURE WAS LEANED OUT ABOUT 3/4 BACK. I DID NOTHING WRONG AND THE FAA SHOULD NOT USE MY CASE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER PLTS FOR THIS REASON. THE FAA SHOULD SPEND THEIR TIME ENFORCING MORE IMPORTANT REGS SUCH AS 'MINIMUM SAFE ALTS' FOR VFR FLT, WHICH I SEE PEOPLE VIOLATING QUITE OFTEN IN THE SKIES OVER MY HOUSE. AT LEAST I COULD HAVE MADE IT TO AN ARPT IF MY ENG STOPPED. IF SOMEONE'S ACFT ENG STOPS WHEN FLYING TOO LOW, PEOPLE ON THE GND COULD BE KILLED, AND PROPERTY DESTROYED. THE FAA MUST HAVE THEIR PRIORITIES SCREWED UP IF THEY DECIDE TO PROSECUTE A CASE SUCH AS MINE INSTEAD OF THE OTHER CASE I DESCRIBED.

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.