Small aircraft makes emergency landing at air force base as gauges indicate empty and engine quits.

Attributes
ACN	188040
Time
Date	199108
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lit airport : lrf
State Reference	AR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lrf
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	controller : non radar controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 3 flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 12
ASRS Report	188040
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Normal VFR flight from phillipsburg airport, phillipsburg, oh, to saline county airport, benton, ar. Had FBO fill small aircraft the night before aug/91. Flight from day VOR to little rock VOR. From little rock outbound 250 degree radial to benton saline county total of 596 mi 4.5 hour flight time. TAS 149, 80 gals fuel, 980 mi range, 6.5 hour endr, 4 hour in-flight jonesboro, ar. Gas normal, both tanks almost 1/2 full. Approximately 15 min later, both gauges started dropping fast. Called searcy, ar, on 122.7 and notified them of a problem with fuel. Engine quit. Saw little rock air force base. Notified searcy over radio engine out, make an attempt to land on air force base. No time to call in. Landed on asphalt strip, out of fuel. After examining airplane for what went wrong, found top right wing red gas cap apparently came loose between jonesboro and little rock, sucking the tanks dry. No damage to airplane on air force base. Normal landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKES EMER LNDG AT AIR FORCE BASE AS GAUGES INDICATE EMPTY AND ENG QUITS.

Narrative: NORMAL VFR FLT FROM PHILLIPSBURG ARPT, PHILLIPSBURG, OH, TO SALINE COUNTY ARPT, BENTON, AR. HAD FBO FILL SMA THE NIGHT BEFORE AUG/91. FLT FROM DAY VOR TO LITTLE ROCK VOR. FROM LITTLE ROCK OUTBOUND 250 DEG RADIAL TO BENTON SALINE COUNTY TOTAL OF 596 MI 4.5 HR FLT TIME. TAS 149, 80 GALS FUEL, 980 MI RANGE, 6.5 HR ENDR, 4 HR INFLT JONESBORO, AR. GAS NORMAL, BOTH TANKS ALMOST 1/2 FULL. APPROX 15 MIN LATER, BOTH GAUGES STARTED DROPPING FAST. CALLED SEARCY, AR, ON 122.7 AND NOTIFIED THEM OF A PROBLEM WITH FUEL. ENG QUIT. SAW LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE. NOTIFIED SEARCY OVER RADIO ENG OUT, MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO LAND ON AIR FORCE BASE. NO TIME TO CALL IN. LANDED ON ASPHALT STRIP, OUT OF FUEL. AFTER EXAMINING AIRPLANE FOR WHAT WENT WRONG, FOUND TOP R WING RED GAS CAP APPARENTLY CAME LOOSE BTWN JONESBORO AND LITTLE ROCK, SUCKING THE TANKS DRY. NO DAMAGE TO AIRPLANE ON AIR FORCE BASE. NORMAL LNDG.

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.