Small aircraft X fuel exhaustion made emergency off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	185853
Time
Date	199108
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad tower : orh
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	185853
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
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
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was busy working the afternoon arrival push into dulles. Small aircraft X checked in and I assigned him a 180 degree heading for the downwind. Small aircraft X declared an emergency stating he lost his engine and was going down. He requested vector to manassas then decided he couldn't make it. He said he had a golf course in sight and would attempt a landing there. I had another small aircraft close to him, who had the emergency aircraft in sight visually. I instructed that aircraft to keep small aircraft X in sight to let me know what happened. I issued small aircraft X the wind and altimeter and was soon advised by other small aircraft that small aircraft X landed and appeared to be alright. It is my understanding that small aircraft X ran out of fuel. All the aircraft had to do was declare min fuel and this situation could have been avoided. As it was the aircraft landed with no damage and no one was hurt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X FUEL EXHAUSTION MADE EMER OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS BUSY WORKING THE AFTERNOON ARR PUSH INTO DULLES. SMA X CHKED IN AND I ASSIGNED HIM A 180 DEG HDG FOR THE DOWNWIND. SMA X DECLARED AN EMER STATING HE LOST HIS ENG AND WAS GOING DOWN. HE REQUESTED VECTOR TO MANASSAS THEN DECIDED HE COULDN'T MAKE IT. HE SAID HE HAD A GOLF COURSE IN SIGHT AND WOULD ATTEMPT A LNDG THERE. I HAD ANOTHER SMA CLOSE TO HIM, WHO HAD THE EMER ACFT IN SIGHT VISUALLY. I INSTRUCTED THAT ACFT TO KEEP SMA X IN SIGHT TO LET ME KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I ISSUED SMA X THE WIND AND ALTIMETER AND WAS SOON ADVISED BY OTHER SMA THAT SMA X LANDED AND APPEARED TO BE ALRIGHT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SMA X RAN OUT OF FUEL. ALL THE ACFT HAD TO DO WAS DECLARE MIN FUEL AND THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. AS IT WAS THE ACFT LANDED WITH NO DAMAGE AND NO ONE WAS HURT.

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.