Narrative:

Aircraft was fueled and preflted in preparation for a ferry flight to cmh airport that day. I received a WX briefing, planned the flight, and filed a VFR flight plan with nashville FSS over the duat system in the FBO office. The fueler topped off the tanks. As I prepared to start the engine, my general manager walked out to see me off. At that time, he noticed that fuel was leaking from the right wing sump drain. He pulled the valve down which appeared to stop the fuel leak. Shortly after departing the bna arsa, I activated my VFR flight plan with nashville FSS, time off at XA30Z. I attained my planned cruising altitude of 3500 ft MSL within 5 mins after departure. Upon leveling off, I pwred back to 2400- 2500 RPM, and leaned the mixture for cruise. During the flight, I releaned the mixture once. The flight went according to schedule and my ate's coincided with my ete's. Around the cincinnati arsa, I was vectored slightly from my course, resulting in an approximately 5 min diversion from my plan. After contacting columbus approach with my intentions to land, during vectors to the airport, the aircraft engine sputtered and stopped. I notified columbus approach that I was going to land in a field. The landing occurred in a field approximately 10 NM from port columbus airport (approximately 26.5 NM fix off the 228 degree radial from the ape VOR). The forced landing was perfect, and caused no damage or injury to myself or the aircraft. The flight time of the aircraft computes to be 2:58. Columbus FAA personnel noted that the right fuel sump drain, when opened, was completely dry, and no fuel remained in the right tank. The left tank was measured to have more fuel than the right. The lowest line to the engine was tested and shown to be dry, but I had closed the fuel valve during the emergency preparation for the forced landing. After completing the required paperwork for the authorities, and after the FAA had determined the aircraft was in a safe condition to fly out of the field, fueling was arranged and I flew the aircraft out of the field to port columbus international airport. It is my firm belief that the aircraft leaked fuel from the right wing sump drain while in flight, causing the aircraft to prematurely run out of fuel. My fuel planning for the flight, using the manufacturer's performance chart was as follows: takeoff with 4.3 hours fuel on board. Fuel exhausted in 3 hours. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that there was about 2 inches of fuel remaining in the left tank after the forced landing. The following day, another pilot was ferrying the aircraft somewhere else and the same thing happened except that it was at night and the aircraft was totaled. The FAA is after him in a serious way.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT SUFFERING AN APPARENT FUEL LEAK RUNS OUT OF FUEL AND MAKES AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FUELED AND PREFLTED IN PREPARATION FOR A FERRY FLT TO CMH ARPT THAT DAY. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING, PLANNED THE FLT, AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH NASHVILLE FSS OVER THE DUAT SYS IN THE FBO OFFICE. THE FUELER TOPPED OFF THE TANKS. AS I PREPARED TO START THE ENG, MY GENERAL MGR WALKED OUT TO SEE ME OFF. AT THAT TIME, HE NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE R WING SUMP DRAIN. HE PULLED THE VALVE DOWN WHICH APPEARED TO STOP THE FUEL LEAK. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE BNA ARSA, I ACTIVATED MY VFR FLT PLAN WITH NASHVILLE FSS, TIME OFF AT XA30Z. I ATTAINED MY PLANNED CRUISING ALT OF 3500 FT MSL WITHIN 5 MINS AFTER DEP. UPON LEVELING OFF, I PWRED BACK TO 2400- 2500 RPM, AND LEANED THE MIXTURE FOR CRUISE. DURING THE FLT, I RELEANED THE MIXTURE ONCE. THE FLT WENT ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE AND MY ATE'S COINCIDED WITH MY ETE'S. AROUND THE CINCINNATI ARSA, I WAS VECTORED SLIGHTLY FROM MY COURSE, RESULTING IN AN APPROX 5 MIN DIVERSION FROM MY PLAN. AFTER CONTACTING COLUMBUS APCH WITH MY INTENTIONS TO LAND, DURING VECTORS TO THE ARPT, THE ACFT ENG SPUTTERED AND STOPPED. I NOTIFIED COLUMBUS APCH THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND IN A FIELD. THE LNDG OCCURRED IN A FIELD APPROX 10 NM FROM PORT COLUMBUS ARPT (APPROX 26.5 NM FIX OFF THE 228 DEG RADIAL FROM THE APE VOR). THE FORCED LNDG WAS PERFECT, AND CAUSED NO DAMAGE OR INJURY TO MYSELF OR THE ACFT. THE FLT TIME OF THE ACFT COMPUTES TO BE 2:58. COLUMBUS FAA PERSONNEL NOTED THAT THE R FUEL SUMP DRAIN, WHEN OPENED, WAS COMPLETELY DRY, AND NO FUEL REMAINED IN THE R TANK. THE L TANK WAS MEASURED TO HAVE MORE FUEL THAN THE R. THE LOWEST LINE TO THE ENG WAS TESTED AND SHOWN TO BE DRY, BUT I HAD CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE DURING THE EMER PREPARATION FOR THE FORCED LNDG. AFTER COMPLETING THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK FOR THE AUTHORITIES, AND AFTER THE FAA HAD DETERMINED THE ACFT WAS IN A SAFE CONDITION TO FLY OUT OF THE FIELD, FUELING WAS ARRANGED AND I FLEW THE ACFT OUT OF THE FIELD TO PORT COLUMBUS INTL ARPT. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THE ACFT LEAKED FUEL FROM THE R WING SUMP DRAIN WHILE IN FLT, CAUSING THE ACFT TO PREMATURELY RUN OUT OF FUEL. MY FUEL PLANNING FOR THE FLT, USING THE MANUFACTURER'S PERFORMANCE CHART WAS AS FOLLOWS: TKOF WITH 4.3 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. FUEL EXHAUSTED IN 3 HRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THERE WAS ABOUT 2 INCHES OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE L TANK AFTER THE FORCED LNDG. THE FOLLOWING DAY, ANOTHER PLT WAS FERRYING THE ACFT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED EXCEPT THAT IT WAS AT NIGHT AND THE ACFT WAS TOTALED. THE FAA IS AFTER HIM IN A SERIOUS WAY.

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.