Narrative:

On sep/thu/91 at approximately XA25 EST (XB25 am central time), I left the iowa city airport en route to albany county airport. I intended to stop at the albany county airport for refueling and then continue onto bangor, me. My ultimate destination is munich, germany. I was operating a single engine small aircraft airplane. When I left the iowa city airport I fueled the airplane with 65 gallons of fuel and thus added to the fuel already in the plane, I had 87 gallons of usable fuel in the plane according to the plane gauge. Also, I visually inspected the 2 fuel tanks and they were full. I was approximately 25 mi from the albany county airport and had a visible sighting of the airport. At this time, the plane engine began to run rough and seemed like it was losing power. I visually checked all gauges and they all appeared normal. I tried to enrich the gas mixture and realized there was little to no fuel pressure. Immediately, I notified albany airport approach about the problem and that I could not reach their airport. The airport gave me directions to the south albany airport and I directed the airplane to that location. I prepared for an emergency landing without engine power and cut the engine mixture, shortly before touchdown. I landed the plane safely on the grass next to the runway, as there already was a plane on the runway. During the landing, I or my passenger were not injured nor did the plane suffer any damage. We got out of the plane and we, along with some people at the south albany airport, pulled the plane to a safe spot off the runway near the gas pumps. During the trip from iowa city, I flew at 2100 ft. I filed an IFR flight plan in iowa city prior to departure on the trip. I would like to add this: when we arrived at the iowa city airport (iow) at XC57 EST on sep/thu/91, our plane was refueled with 65 gallons of fuel. I checked both tanks visually using my flashlight. My impression was that they were filled up. What I didn't realize here was the discrepancy of the amount we just refueled and the amount of 70 gallons which we did use on the flight to iow according to the fuel flow computer. When we took off to albany, ny (alb) the next morning at XD25 EST, we must have had only 82 gallons usable fuel on board. I reset the fuel flow computer to full, 522 pounds, and didn't realize that it indicated 30 pounds of fuel, which I didn't have on board. Actual fuel on board must have been 492 pounds. According to my flight log, we did have 180 pounds of fuel left in the tanks when we passed over jamestown (jhw) at XE30 EST. I did calculate with a fuel reserve in 1 hour. They directed me to south albany airport (4b0, where I set up for an emergency landing without power. The fuel computer indicated 76 pounds in the tanks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FERRY PLT MAKES AN EMER FORCED LNDG AT NON TWR ARPT UNICOM AFTER EXPERIENCING FUEL EXHAUSTION IN DSCNT NEAR DEST ARPT. GETS FLT ASSIST FROM ABLE TRACON APCH CTLR RESPONSE.

Narrative: ON SEP/THU/91 AT APPROX XA25 EST (XB25 AM CENTRAL TIME), I LEFT THE IOWA CITY ARPT ENRTE TO ALBANY COUNTY ARPT. I INTENDED TO STOP AT THE ALBANY COUNTY ARPT FOR REFUELING AND THEN CONTINUE ONTO BANGOR, ME. MY ULTIMATE DEST IS MUNICH, GERMANY. I WAS OPERATING A SINGLE ENG SMA AIRPLANE. WHEN I LEFT THE IOWA CITY ARPT I FUELED THE AIRPLANE WITH 65 GALLONS OF FUEL AND THUS ADDED TO THE FUEL ALREADY IN THE PLANE, I HAD 87 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL IN THE PLANE ACCORDING TO THE PLANE GAUGE. ALSO, I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE 2 FUEL TANKS AND THEY WERE FULL. I WAS APPROX 25 MI FROM THE ALBANY COUNTY ARPT AND HAD A VISIBLE SIGHTING OF THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME, THE PLANE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND SEEMED LIKE IT WAS LOSING PWR. I VISUALLY CHKED ALL GAUGES AND THEY ALL APPEARED NORMAL. I TRIED TO ENRICH THE GAS MIXTURE AND REALIZED THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO FUEL PRESSURE. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTIFIED ALBANY ARPT APCH ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THAT I COULD NOT REACH THEIR ARPT. THE ARPT GAVE ME DIRECTIONS TO THE S ALBANY ARPT AND I DIRECTED THE AIRPLANE TO THAT LOCATION. I PREPARED FOR AN EMER LNDG WITHOUT ENG PWR AND CUT THE ENG MIXTURE, SHORTLY BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. I LANDED THE PLANE SAFELY ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE RWY, AS THERE ALREADY WAS A PLANE ON THE RWY. DURING THE LNDG, I OR MY PAX WERE NOT INJURED NOR DID THE PLANE SUFFER ANY DAMAGE. WE GOT OUT OF THE PLANE AND WE, ALONG WITH SOME PEOPLE AT THE S ALBANY ARPT, PULLED THE PLANE TO A SAFE SPOT OFF THE RWY NEAR THE GAS PUMPS. DURING THE TRIP FROM IOWA CITY, I FLEW AT 2100 FT. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN IN IOWA CITY PRIOR TO DEP ON THE TRIP. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THIS: WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE IOWA CITY ARPT (IOW) AT XC57 EST ON SEP/THU/91, OUR PLANE WAS REFUELED WITH 65 GALLONS OF FUEL. I CHKED BOTH TANKS VISUALLY USING MY FLASHLIGHT. MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT THEY WERE FILLED UP. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE HERE WAS THE DISCREPANCY OF THE AMOUNT WE JUST REFUELED AND THE AMOUNT OF 70 GALLONS WHICH WE DID USE ON THE FLT TO IOW ACCORDING TO THE FUEL FLOW COMPUTER. WHEN WE TOOK OFF TO ALBANY, NY (ALB) THE NEXT MORNING AT XD25 EST, WE MUST HAVE HAD ONLY 82 GALLONS USABLE FUEL ON BOARD. I RESET THE FUEL FLOW COMPUTER TO FULL, 522 POUNDS, AND DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT INDICATED 30 POUNDS OF FUEL, WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE ON BOARD. ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD MUST HAVE BEEN 492 POUNDS. ACCORDING TO MY FLT LOG, WE DID HAVE 180 POUNDS OF FUEL LEFT IN THE TANKS WHEN WE PASSED OVER JAMESTOWN (JHW) AT XE30 EST. I DID CALCULATE WITH A FUEL RESERVE IN 1 HR. THEY DIRECTED ME TO S ALBANY ARPT (4B0, WHERE I SET UP FOR AN EMER LNDG WITHOUT PWR. THE FUEL COMPUTER INDICATED 76 POUNDS IN THE TANKS.

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.