Small aircraft has fuel transfer problem. Experiences fuel starvation. Forced landing.

Attributes
ACN	190758
Time
Date	199110
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cak
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 180 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	190758
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft small aircraft equipped with auxiliary tip tanks (15 gallons each) fueled to 90 gallons total. Right tip 15/main 30 left tip 15/main 30. Aircraft made 1 short 15 min flight, then left N63 (sussex, nj) with 85 gallons fuel. Aircraft was flown at 75 percent power 1 hour on tips then 1 hour on mains. Aircraft engine suddenly stopped. Contact had previously been made with arsa controllers who were told of trouble, aircraft vectored away from canton area toward dirt strip (sunset strip). Although this effort was nearly successful, I ran out of altitude and landed in a soybean field. No damage, and after inspection by a and P the aircraft was flown to sunset strip and then to N63. Ohio state police verify that both tip tanks were full to top upon landing (more fuel than at takeoff in sussex). Main tanks were empty. Aircraft had been worked on previously to correct leak in fuel line to tip tank. This was tested and found ok. Fuel selector valve had play and fuel would drain from tip to main when aircraft was on ground. When FAA inspected aircraft the following day of incident, fuel had drained from tip to main. I had not used tips because of an obvious leak. When leak was fixed and tested I believed that all problems had been corrected. I have owned this aircraft for 6 months. I had received a total of 13 hours of dual instruction in this aircraft in last 6 months, 1.5 hours of emergency procedures including engine out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS FUEL TRANSFER PROBLEM. EXPERIENCES FUEL STARVATION. FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: ACFT SMA EQUIPPED WITH AUX TIP TANKS (15 GALLONS EACH) FUELED TO 90 GALLONS TOTAL. R TIP 15/MAIN 30 L TIP 15/MAIN 30. ACFT MADE 1 SHORT 15 MIN FLT, THEN LEFT N63 (SUSSEX, NJ) WITH 85 GALLONS FUEL. ACFT WAS FLOWN AT 75 PERCENT PWR 1 HR ON TIPS THEN 1 HR ON MAINS. ACFT ENG SUDDENLY STOPPED. CONTACT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN MADE WITH ARSA CTLRS WHO WERE TOLD OF TROUBLE, ACFT VECTORED AWAY FROM CANTON AREA TOWARD DIRT STRIP (SUNSET STRIP). ALTHOUGH THIS EFFORT WAS NEARLY SUCCESSFUL, I RAN OUT OF ALT AND LANDED IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. NO DAMAGE, AND AFTER INSPECTION BY A AND P THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO SUNSET STRIP AND THEN TO N63. OHIO STATE POLICE VERIFY THAT BOTH TIP TANKS WERE FULL TO TOP UPON LNDG (MORE FUEL THAN AT TKOF IN SUSSEX). MAIN TANKS WERE EMPTY. ACFT HAD BEEN WORKED ON PREVIOUSLY TO CORRECT LEAK IN FUEL LINE TO TIP TANK. THIS WAS TESTED AND FOUND OK. FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HAD PLAY AND FUEL WOULD DRAIN FROM TIP TO MAIN WHEN ACFT WAS ON GND. WHEN FAA INSPECTED ACFT THE FOLLOWING DAY OF INCIDENT, FUEL HAD DRAINED FROM TIP TO MAIN. I HAD NOT USED TIPS BECAUSE OF AN OBVIOUS LEAK. WHEN LEAK WAS FIXED AND TESTED I BELIEVED THAT ALL PROBLEMS HAD BEEN CORRECTED. I HAVE OWNED THIS ACFT FOR 6 MONTHS. I HAD RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 13 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THIS ACFT IN LAST 6 MONTHS, 1.5 HRS OF EMER PROCS INCLUDING ENG OUT.

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.