Narrative:

I thoroughly preflted the small aircraft which I had rented from FBO. I departed from naples-pora sightseeing trip over the everglades national park about 30 mi east of naples. I thought that with the tanks being 1/4 full, I would have enough fuel for the trip. I realize now that the tanks should have been at least 1/2 full for this trip. After flying around for about 1 hour I headed back for naples. Approximately 7 mi from naples the engine began to lose power and was acting like the throttle was being pulled back and pushed back in again. It was dying out and then coming back to life again, then repeating the process. I called the naples tower and tried to tell them what was happening and my location. The engine began running smoothly again so I kept on heading for the airport. At about 3 mi from the airport the engine began to die out again. I was right over I-75 and decided that this was where I would have to land. The airport was too far away to glide to, so I began setting up for a landing on the grass strip between the north and southbound lanes. This grass median is about 75 yds wide. I made a good landing heading south in the grass and for 1 brief moment the left main wheel went on to the nebnd lane as I was avoiding some trees that were in the middle of the median. After rolling to a stop I called the tower and told them I had landed safely and there were no injuries. They replied back that they were sending someone right over. The aircraft was undamaged except for the right main wheel which slowly went flat after landing. Passing motorists were stopping to see if I needed help and if everything was all right. After about 10 mins several sheriff's cars arrived and 1 fl highway patrol officer. By the time it was decided about how the plane would be removed the sun had gone down and the D.O.T. Said that it was now too dark to takeoff. The plane was left guarded overnight until the next morning when the traffic was stopped for just a few mins while an employee from FBO flew the plane off to the northbound land back to naples airport west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FUEL EXHAUSTION OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I THOROUGHLY PREFLTED THE SMA WHICH I HAD RENTED FROM FBO. I DEPARTED FROM NAPLES-PORA SIGHTSEEING TRIP OVER THE EVERGLADES NATL PARK ABOUT 30 MI E OF NAPLES. I THOUGHT THAT WITH THE TANKS BEING 1/4 FULL, I WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP. I REALIZE NOW THAT THE TANKS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 1/2 FULL FOR THIS TRIP. AFTER FLYING AROUND FOR ABOUT 1 HR I HEADED BACK FOR NAPLES. APPROX 7 MI FROM NAPLES THE ENG BEGAN TO LOSE PWR AND WAS ACTING LIKE THE THROTTLE WAS BEING PULLED BACK AND PUSHED BACK IN AGAIN. IT WAS DYING OUT AND THEN COMING BACK TO LIFE AGAIN, THEN REPEATING THE PROCESS. I CALLED THE NAPLES TWR AND TRIED TO TELL THEM WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND MY LOCATION. THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING SMOOTHLY AGAIN SO I KEPT ON HDG FOR THE ARPT. AT ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE ARPT THE ENG BEGAN TO DIE OUT AGAIN. I WAS RIGHT OVER I-75 AND DECIDED THAT THIS WAS WHERE I WOULD HAVE TO LAND. THE ARPT WAS TOO FAR AWAY TO GLIDE TO, SO I BEGAN SETTING UP FOR A LNDG ON THE GRASS STRIP BTWN THE N AND SBND LANES. THIS GRASS MEDIAN IS ABOUT 75 YDS WIDE. I MADE A GOOD LNDG HDG S IN THE GRASS AND FOR 1 BRIEF MOMENT THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL WENT ON TO THE NEBND LANE AS I WAS AVOIDING SOME TREES THAT WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEDIAN. AFTER ROLLING TO A STOP I CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM I HAD LANDED SAFELY AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THEY REPLIED BACK THAT THEY WERE SENDING SOMEONE RIGHT OVER. THE ACFT WAS UNDAMAGED EXCEPT FOR THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL WHICH SLOWLY WENT FLAT AFTER LNDG. PASSING MOTORISTS WERE STOPPING TO SEE IF I NEEDED HELP AND IF EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS SEVERAL SHERIFF'S CARS ARRIVED AND 1 FL HWY PATROL OFFICER. BY THE TIME IT WAS DECIDED ABOUT HOW THE PLANE WOULD BE REMOVED THE SUN HAD GONE DOWN AND THE D.O.T. SAID THAT IT WAS NOW TOO DARK TO TKOF. THE PLANE WAS LEFT GUARDED OVERNIGHT UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING WHEN THE TFC WAS STOPPED FOR JUST A FEW MINS WHILE AN EMPLOYEE FROM FBO FLEW THE PLANE OFF TO THE NBND LAND BACK TO NAPLES ARPT W/O 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.