Narrative:

On a VFR trip about 45 mi east of liberal, ks, I noticed the fuel gauge on the nose tank start to fall. Only 2 1/2 hours out of my last stop with 4 hours of fuel on board, I assumed a fuel pump failure and estimated about 4 gals in the nose tank. Being 20 mi southeast of meade, ks, I turned on a course to meade using meade's non-directional radio. Because I was unable to contact meade unicom, I decided on landing from the north (the winds were s-westerly). Crossing the town at 3500' MSL (900' AGL) I made a 180 degree turn from downwind to final. Finding myself lined up with the towns main street at approximately 500' AGL I turned right and located the airports runway 1/2 mi to the west. At this time I estimated fuel to be less than one gal. Making another 180 degree turn from downwind to final my altitude had decayed to less than 300' by the altimeter, but I estimate it was closer to 150'. After landing, nothing wrong could be found with the aircraft. It had 3 gals in the wing tanks and 2 gals in the nose tank, something which should not happen. Question, can a '46 small aircraft vapor lock? It's the only possibility we can think of. The incorrect altimeter setting caused the plane to be about 200' lower than the altimeter said it was. In this section of ks, radio contact with ground stations is not always possible, thus if meade's or buffalo's unicom do not respond true altimeter setting is unknown. The runway at meade is totally unmarked. It has no numbers, no centerline, no threshold markings...nothing! It is very difficult to locate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT, MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IS DISTR BY PROBLEM AND HAS DIFFICULTY IN FINDING THE RWY AT MEJ, KS. CITES LOW FLT BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING AN ALTIMETER SETTING.

Narrative: ON A VFR TRIP ABOUT 45 MI E OF LIBERAL, KS, I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE NOSE TANK START TO FALL. ONLY 2 1/2 HRS OUT OF MY LAST STOP WITH 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD, I ASSUMED A FUEL PUMP FAILURE AND ESTIMATED ABOUT 4 GALS IN THE NOSE TANK. BEING 20 MI SE OF MEADE, KS, I TURNED ON A COURSE TO MEADE USING MEADE'S NON-DIRECTIONAL RADIO. BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT MEADE UNICOM, I DECIDED ON LNDG FROM THE N (THE WINDS WERE S-WESTERLY). XING THE TOWN AT 3500' MSL (900' AGL) I MADE A 180 DEG TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL. FINDING MYSELF LINED UP WITH THE TOWNS MAIN STREET AT APPROX 500' AGL I TURNED R AND LOCATED THE ARPTS RWY 1/2 MI TO THE W. AT THIS TIME I ESTIMATED FUEL TO BE LESS THAN ONE GAL. MAKING ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL MY ALT HAD DECAYED TO LESS THAN 300' BY THE ALTIMETER, BUT I ESTIMATE IT WAS CLOSER TO 150'. AFTER LNDG, NOTHING WRONG COULD BE FOUND WITH THE ACFT. IT HAD 3 GALS IN THE WING TANKS AND 2 GALS IN THE NOSE TANK, SOMETHING WHICH SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. QUESTION, CAN A '46 SMA VAPOR LOCK? IT'S THE ONLY POSSIBILITY WE CAN THINK OF. THE INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING CAUSED THE PLANE TO BE ABOUT 200' LOWER THAN THE ALTIMETER SAID IT WAS. IN THIS SECTION OF KS, RADIO CONTACT WITH GND STATIONS IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE, THUS IF MEADE'S OR BUFFALO'S UNICOM DO NOT RESPOND TRUE ALTIMETER SETTING IS UNKNOWN. THE RWY AT MEADE IS TOTALLY UNMARKED. IT HAS NO NUMBERS, NO CTRLINE, NO THRESHOLD MARKINGS...NOTHING! IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE.

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.