Student pilot on solo crosscountry suffers engine failure due to fuel feed problem.

Attributes
ACN	180588
Time
Date	199106
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s44
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time total : 135
ASRS Report	180588
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While visually checking the fuel in each tank in the small aircraft, I noticed that the fuel was down about 3/4' per side from being topped off. Normally, even down 3/4' per side would have been more than enough for the proposed 3.2 hour long x-country plus a healthy reserve. In a nut shell, unforecast winds on the last short leg of the trip, plus the fact that a full quarter of a tank of fuel would not drain out of the right tank (full xfer has been a problem with the small aircraft) caused the engine to quit a few mi short of an alternate landing field (pierce county airport) and 21 SM short of final destination. I made a dead stick landing in a large field. The aircraft was in the final dead stick mode rollout and I hit a ditch at about 10 mph. The propeller was bent and the wing tip slightly damaged. The FAA was notified and wrote it up as an 'incident,' with fuel feed (starvation) the problem. Corrective action: land no matter what when gauges read 1/4 of a tank in the small aircraft. FAA was satisfied the fuel reserve was still in the tanks. Minor damage to aircraft; no damaged to person, pilot or property. WX was checked before flight with FSS. Winds were not forecast to be a problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON SOLO CROSSCOUNTRY SUFFERS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL FEED PROBLEM.

Narrative: WHILE VISUALLY CHKING THE FUEL IN EACH TANK IN THE SMA, I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL WAS DOWN ABOUT 3/4' PER SIDE FROM BEING TOPPED OFF. NORMALLY, EVEN DOWN 3/4' PER SIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE PROPOSED 3.2 HR LONG X-COUNTRY PLUS A HEALTHY RESERVE. IN A NUT SHELL, UNFORECAST WINDS ON THE LAST SHORT LEG OF THE TRIP, PLUS THE FACT THAT A FULL QUARTER OF A TANK OF FUEL WOULD NOT DRAIN OUT OF THE RIGHT TANK (FULL XFER HAS BEEN A PROB WITH THE SMA) CAUSED THE ENG TO QUIT A FEW MI SHORT OF AN ALTERNATE LNDG FIELD (PIERCE COUNTY ARPT) AND 21 SM SHORT OF FINAL DEST. I MADE A DEAD STICK LNDG IN A LARGE FIELD. THE ACFT WAS IN THE FINAL DEAD STICK MODE ROLLOUT AND I HIT A DITCH AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THE PROP WAS BENT AND THE WING TIP SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED AND WROTE IT UP AS AN 'INCIDENT,' WITH FUEL FEED (STARVATION) THE PROB. CORRECTIVE ACTION: LAND NO MATTER WHAT WHEN GAUGES READ 1/4 OF A TANK IN THE SMA. FAA WAS SATISFIED THE FUEL RESERVE WAS STILL IN THE TANKS. MINOR DAMAGE TO ACFT; NO DAMAGED TO PERSON, PLT OR PROPERTY. WX WAS CHKED BEFORE FLT WITH FSS. WINDS WERE NOT FORECAST TO BE A PROB.

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.