Narrative:

A night IFR flight was planned to sgj with a distance of 666 NM and an ete of 4:45 (forecast headwind component was 14 KTS, averaged at 3 points along the route based upon the current winds aloft forecast). Book usable fuel was 89 gals. At 15 gph endurance would have been 6:00. Time from sgj to my alternate (although none was required based upon the WX forecast) would be 0:15. This left a reserve of 1:00. My destination (sgj) has no terminal forecast, but crg (24 NM north) was forecasting 10 scattered, 25 broken, wind 0612 with occasional 10 broken 4-RW, becoming 50 scattered 75 broken 6 H with occasional 5-RW. Terminal and area forecasts to the south of sgj were even better. While en route WX updates showed jax and crg to be holding basic VFR or better. Dab to the south was clear. My actual ground speed was slightly less than flight planned, but reserve appeared adequate. When handed off to jax approach, I asked for another update on their WX and was surprised to find they had gone to 3 ovc north fog. Jax advised me that dab was still clear and recommended that I deviate there should I be unable to land at sgj. Once south of crg, I was able to tune in sgj AWOS and found that sgj also had fog. Unable to land at sgj, I elected to deviate to the known good WX, so continued to dab instead of my filed alternate. Dab was farther than crg, but based upon the rapidly deteriorating WX conditions, I felt that deviating to dab was more prudent. As I approached dab, they advised me that fog had begun to move in there also, and then they advised me that they were going IFR. I shot the ILS to dab and successfully completed my flight, but experienced apparent fuel starvation taxiing to the ramp. Upon inspecting my aircraft in the morning I was able to drain fuel from both wing sump drains, both fuel reservoir tanks and from the gascolator. The aircraft was parked on a level surface and I filled both tanks to overflowing, waiting for the fuel to settle, making sure that the load was balanced and that the wings were level. To my surprise, the aircraft would only take 86 gals. This was 3 gals less than the aircraft manual shows as usable! Corrective actions: 1) sgj AWOS is only available by radio when nearby or by calling a local phone # and listening to a recording. Since this information is already on a phone line, I recommend that this WX information also be passed on to FSS so that pilots can get it during WX brief and en route. 2) a service latter or advisory bulletin should be sent to aircraft owners advising them that usable fuel may actually be less than published. 3) I plan to provide a greater fuel reserve in the future and plane to make en route fuel stops if necessary to provide this greater reserve, especially when the WX could be unreliable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT RUNS OUT OF GAS ON TAXI IN AS FUEL REMAINING IS LESS THAN PLT PLANNING PREFLT INFLT HAD INDICATED.

Narrative: A NIGHT IFR FLT WAS PLANNED TO SGJ WITH A DISTANCE OF 666 NM AND AN ETE OF 4:45 (FORECAST HEADWIND COMPONENT WAS 14 KTS, AVERAGED AT 3 POINTS ALONG THE RTE BASED UPON THE CURRENT WINDS ALOFT FORECAST). BOOK USABLE FUEL WAS 89 GALS. AT 15 GPH ENDURANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN 6:00. TIME FROM SGJ TO MY ALTERNATE (ALTHOUGH NONE WAS REQUIRED BASED UPON THE WX FORECAST) WOULD BE 0:15. THIS LEFT A RESERVE OF 1:00. MY DEST (SGJ) HAS NO TERMINAL FORECAST, BUT CRG (24 NM N) WAS FORECASTING 10 SCATTERED, 25 BROKEN, WIND 0612 WITH OCCASIONAL 10 BROKEN 4-RW, BECOMING 50 SCATTERED 75 BROKEN 6 H WITH OCCASIONAL 5-RW. TERMINAL AND AREA FORECASTS TO THE S OF SGJ WERE EVEN BETTER. WHILE ENRTE WX UPDATES SHOWED JAX AND CRG TO BE HOLDING BASIC VFR OR BETTER. DAB TO THE S WAS CLR. MY ACTUAL GND SPD WAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN FLT PLANNED, BUT RESERVE APPEARED ADEQUATE. WHEN HANDED OFF TO JAX APCH, I ASKED FOR ANOTHER UPDATE ON THEIR WX AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THEY HAD GONE TO 3 OVC N FOG. JAX ADVISED ME THAT DAB WAS STILL CLR AND RECOMMENDED THAT I DEVIATE THERE SHOULD I BE UNABLE TO LAND AT SGJ. ONCE S OF CRG, I WAS ABLE TO TUNE IN SGJ AWOS AND FOUND THAT SGJ ALSO HAD FOG. UNABLE TO LAND AT SGJ, I ELECTED TO DEVIATE TO THE KNOWN GOOD WX, SO CONTINUED TO DAB INSTEAD OF MY FILED ALTERNATE. DAB WAS FARTHER THAN CRG, BUT BASED UPON THE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS, I FELT THAT DEVIATING TO DAB WAS MORE PRUDENT. AS I APCHED DAB, THEY ADVISED ME THAT FOG HAD BEGUN TO MOVE IN THERE ALSO, AND THEN THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY WERE GOING IFR. I SHOT THE ILS TO DAB AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED MY FLT, BUT EXPERIENCED APPARENT FUEL STARVATION TAXIING TO THE RAMP. UPON INSPECTING MY ACFT IN THE MORNING I WAS ABLE TO DRAIN FUEL FROM BOTH WING SUMP DRAINS, BOTH FUEL RESERVOIR TANKS AND FROM THE GASCOLATOR. THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON A LEVEL SURFACE AND I FILLED BOTH TANKS TO OVERFLOWING, WAITING FOR THE FUEL TO SETTLE, MAKING SURE THAT THE LOAD WAS BALANCED AND THAT THE WINGS WERE LEVEL. TO MY SURPRISE, THE ACFT WOULD ONLY TAKE 86 GALS. THIS WAS 3 GALS LESS THAN THE ACFT MANUAL SHOWS AS USABLE! CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) SGJ AWOS IS ONLY AVAILABLE BY RADIO WHEN NEARBY OR BY CALLING A LCL PHONE # AND LISTENING TO A RECORDING. SINCE THIS INFO IS ALREADY ON A PHONE LINE, I RECOMMEND THAT THIS WX INFO ALSO BE PASSED ON TO FSS SO THAT PLTS CAN GET IT DURING WX BRIEF AND ENRTE. 2) A SVC LATTER OR ADVISORY BULLETIN SHOULD BE SENT TO ACFT OWNERS ADVISING THEM THAT USABLE FUEL MAY ACTUALLY BE LESS THAN PUBLISHED. 3) I PLAN TO PROVIDE A GREATER FUEL RESERVE IN THE FUTURE AND PLANE TO MAKE ENRTE FUEL STOPS IF NECESSARY TO PROVIDE THIS GREATER RESERVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WX COULD BE UNRELIABLE.

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.