Narrative:

I refueled the small aircraft I was flying with 20 gallons of fuel, 10 in the right and 10 in the left tanks. I stuck the right fuel tank before refueling and found I had 1 1/2 inches on the dipstick (approximately 7 gallons). I flew 2 loads of jumpers to 10500 ft, 4 jumpers each load. After the second load, the aircraft was shut down for approximately 5 mins. My last load left at around XA25. The climb to 10500 ft took approximately 20-25 mins. After the jumpers exited the aircraft, I began my descent. Raleigh approach cancelled radar service at 8000 ft. At 6500 ft the engine sputtered once. I leveled the wings and slowed my rate of descent momentarily, rechked all gauges power settings and the fuel selector valve, and continued my descent because the engine was running fine. I entered the traffic pattern with a right downwind to runway 5. I turned base and added 10 degree of flaps. As I turned from my base leg to my final I realized that I was a little low for my distance to the runway. I went to add power and the engine did not respond. Immediately I tried to restart and called the other company in the air and told the pilot of my situation. The aircraft was at approximately 350 ft when this happened. I removed the 10 degree of flaps and began slowing the aircraft to best glide speed. The aircraft touched down at approximately 50-55 mph on its main wheels about 1/4 mi from the end of the runway. The aircraft flipped and came to an abrupt stop. I released my seatbelt took the key out of the ignition and exited the aircraft through the jump door. I am supposed to fly 3 loads of jumpers before refueling and this load was my third and final, however, if I had checked my fuel with the dipstick before taking off this incident could have been possibly avoided. The fuel gauges in the aircraft were reading erroneously. I also feel that had I known the area surrounding the airport better I could have made a better choice for an off airport landing site. It was my second week working for the jumping operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLYING JUMPERS RUNS OUT OF FUEL ON FINAL APCH OF THE DAY, LANDS SHORT.

Narrative: I REFUELED THE SMA I WAS FLYING WITH 20 GALLONS OF FUEL, 10 IN THE R AND 10 IN THE L TANKS. I STUCK THE R FUEL TANK BEFORE REFUELING AND FOUND I HAD 1 1/2 INCHES ON THE DIPSTICK (APPROX 7 GALLONS). I FLEW 2 LOADS OF JUMPERS TO 10500 FT, 4 JUMPERS EACH LOAD. AFTER THE SECOND LOAD, THE ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN FOR APPROX 5 MINS. MY LAST LOAD LEFT AT AROUND XA25. THE CLB TO 10500 FT TOOK APPROX 20-25 MINS. AFTER THE JUMPERS EXITED THE ACFT, I BEGAN MY DSCNT. RALEIGH APCH CANCELLED RADAR SVC AT 8000 FT. AT 6500 FT THE ENG SPUTTERED ONCE. I LEVELED THE WINGS AND SLOWED MY RATE OF DSCNT MOMENTARILY, RECHKED ALL GAUGES PWR SETTINGS AND THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, AND CONTINUED MY DSCNT BECAUSE THE ENG WAS RUNNING FINE. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN WITH A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 5. I TURNED BASE AND ADDED 10 DEG OF FLAPS. AS I TURNED FROM MY BASE LEG TO MY FINAL I REALIZED THAT I WAS A LITTLE LOW FOR MY DISTANCE TO THE RWY. I WENT TO ADD PWR AND THE ENG DID NOT RESPOND. IMMEDIATELY I TRIED TO RESTART AND CALLED THE OTHER COMPANY IN THE AIR AND TOLD THE PLT OF MY SITUATION. THE ACFT WAS AT APPROX 350 FT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I REMOVED THE 10 DEG OF FLAPS AND BEGAN SLOWING THE ACFT TO BEST GLIDE SPD. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 50-55 MPH ON ITS MAIN WHEELS ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY. THE ACFT FLIPPED AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I RELEASED MY SEATBELT TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND EXITED THE ACFT THROUGH THE JUMP DOOR. I AM SUPPOSED TO FLY 3 LOADS OF JUMPERS BEFORE REFUELING AND THIS LOAD WAS MY THIRD AND FINAL, HOWEVER, IF I HAD CHKED MY FUEL WITH THE DIPSTICK BEFORE TAKING OFF THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLY AVOIDED. THE FUEL GAUGES IN THE ACFT WERE READING ERRONEOUSLY. I ALSO FEEL THAT HAD I KNOWN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ARPT BETTER I COULD HAVE MADE A BETTER CHOICE FOR AN OFF ARPT LNDG SITE. IT WAS MY SECOND WK WORKING FOR THE JUMPING OP.

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.