Narrative:

On apr/mon/92 I received a chkout flight in small aircraft (160 hp) at deer valley airport. It lasted about 1 hour 45 min. After the chkout, I took a 1 hour private flight on another small aircraft (160 hp). Fri/apr/92 I rented an small aircraft (180 hp) to make a trip to the monument valley. The day before, I plotted the courses on the map and measured the distances. Fri morning I checked the forecast winds which were from the southwest to west. I also checked the fuel flow for the altitude in the poh that was in the airplane. The table showed 7.4 us gallons/hour, however, to be on the safe side, I used 8 gallons/hour. Using 40 gallons usable fuel minus a certain amount for the runup and climb fuel, I calculated that I can go at least 4 hours. Including winds and power setting in my calculation, I computed a 3 hour 30 min duration of the flight from deer valley to monument valley. As we reached the monument valley area, the indicators were at half full position after approximately 2 hours flight, the pointers started to jump around half full position. I became concerned and decided to return to winslow which would be approximately 1 hour 15 min of flight. Half way between the valley and winslow, the pointers jumped between 5-10 gallons on each tank and shortly after, between 0-5 gallons. When we were 35 NM from winslow VOR, I got the first DME indication, and the pointer of the right fuel selector jumped to zero. When we were 16 NM north of winslow VOR, the engine quit. Both indicators were zero. So I started the emergency procedure, planning to land on a dirt strip and called the traffic in the winslow pattern. After I lost approximately 1000 ft, the engine (we were at 8500 ft) came back again and all of a sudden, the right indicator showed 5 gallons again. I calculated again and was pretty sure that we could reach winslow now. I assumed the fuel must have stuck in the system somewhere, so I called winslow and told them. When we were 9 NM north of the VOR, the engine quit again and did not come back this time. I called winslow traffic and told an small aircraft in the pattern our position. At PM15 I landed the airplane on a dust strip in the navajo indian reservation. No one was injured and the plane was not hurt. After 5 min, the small aircraft from winslow circled over our heads, telling us he would call for help. 1 hour later, the sheriff from winslow came and took or identify's and license numbers. He contacted the FAA, but they decided not to come out and said I can takeoff again, call them the next morning. The sheriff emphasized that I must takeoff again as soon as possible because the indians would either steal or burn the airplane if I leave it out there for the night. So I was afraid and we went to winslow to drop my passenger and get fuel. After we got back to the airplane, it was already dark. I knew I was in the vicinity of winslow airport (beacon in sight) and after checking the strip in the lights of the police car, I took off after I did a very long runup. The police car illuminated the strip during the soft field takeoff. I landed in winslow 5 min after. We refueled and flew back to deer valley the next morning. At deer valley they told me that the numbers in the poh I had were not the right ones for the small aircraft (180 hp).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION IN SMA SETS PLT UP FOR EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: ON APR/MON/92 I RECEIVED A CHKOUT FLT IN SMA (160 HP) AT DEER VALLEY ARPT. IT LASTED ABOUT 1 HR 45 MIN. AFTER THE CHKOUT, I TOOK A 1 HR PRIVATE FLT ON ANOTHER SMA (160 HP). FRI/APR/92 I RENTED AN SMA (180 HP) TO MAKE A TRIP TO THE MONUMENT VALLEY. THE DAY BEFORE, I PLOTTED THE COURSES ON THE MAP AND MEASURED THE DISTANCES. FRI MORNING I CHKED THE FORECAST WINDS WHICH WERE FROM THE SW TO W. I ALSO CHKED THE FUEL FLOW FOR THE ALT IN THE POH THAT WAS IN THE AIRPLANE. THE TABLE SHOWED 7.4 US GALLONS/HR, HOWEVER, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, I USED 8 GALLONS/HR. USING 40 GALLONS USABLE FUEL MINUS A CERTAIN AMOUNT FOR THE RUNUP AND CLB FUEL, I CALCULATED THAT I CAN GO AT LEAST 4 HRS. INCLUDING WINDS AND PWR SETTING IN MY CALCULATION, I COMPUTED A 3 HR 30 MIN DURATION OF THE FLT FROM DEER VALLEY TO MONUMENT VALLEY. AS WE REACHED THE MONUMENT VALLEY AREA, THE INDICATORS WERE AT HALF FULL POS AFTER APPROX 2 HRS FLT, THE POINTERS STARTED TO JUMP AROUND HALF FULL POS. I BECAME CONCERNED AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO WINSLOW WHICH WOULD BE APPROX 1 HR 15 MIN OF FLT. HALF WAY BTWN THE VALLEY AND WINSLOW, THE POINTERS JUMPED BTWN 5-10 GALLONS ON EACH TANK AND SHORTLY AFTER, BTWN 0-5 GALLONS. WHEN WE WERE 35 NM FROM WINSLOW VOR, I GOT THE FIRST DME INDICATION, AND THE POINTER OF THE R FUEL SELECTOR JUMPED TO ZERO. WHEN WE WERE 16 NM N OF WINSLOW VOR, THE ENG QUIT. BOTH INDICATORS WERE ZERO. SO I STARTED THE EMER PROC, PLANNING TO LAND ON A DIRT STRIP AND CALLED THE TFC IN THE WINSLOW PATTERN. AFTER I LOST APPROX 1000 FT, THE ENG (WE WERE AT 8500 FT) CAME BACK AGAIN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE R INDICATOR SHOWED 5 GALLONS AGAIN. I CALCULATED AGAIN AND WAS PRETTY SURE THAT WE COULD REACH WINSLOW NOW. I ASSUMED THE FUEL MUST HAVE STUCK IN THE SYS SOMEWHERE, SO I CALLED WINSLOW AND TOLD THEM. WHEN WE WERE 9 NM N OF THE VOR, THE ENG QUIT AGAIN AND DID NOT COME BACK THIS TIME. I CALLED WINSLOW TFC AND TOLD AN SMA IN THE PATTERN OUR POS. AT PM15 I LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON A DUST STRIP IN THE NAVAJO INDIAN RESERVATION. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE PLANE WAS NOT HURT. AFTER 5 MIN, THE SMA FROM WINSLOW CIRCLED OVER OUR HEADS, TELLING US HE WOULD CALL FOR HELP. 1 HR LATER, THE SHERIFF FROM WINSLOW CAME AND TOOK OR IDENT'S AND LICENSE NUMBERS. HE CONTACTED THE FAA, BUT THEY DECIDED NOT TO COME OUT AND SAID I CAN TKOF AGAIN, CALL THEM THE NEXT MORNING. THE SHERIFF EMPHASIZED THAT I MUST TKOF AGAIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE INDIANS WOULD EITHER STEAL OR BURN THE AIRPLANE IF I LEAVE IT OUT THERE FOR THE NIGHT. SO I WAS AFRAID AND WE WENT TO WINSLOW TO DROP MY PAX AND GET FUEL. AFTER WE GOT BACK TO THE AIRPLANE, IT WAS ALREADY DARK. I KNEW I WAS IN THE VICINITY OF WINSLOW ARPT (BEACON IN SIGHT) AND AFTER CHKING THE STRIP IN THE LIGHTS OF THE POLICE CAR, I TOOK OFF AFTER I DID A VERY LONG RUNUP. THE POLICE CAR ILLUMINATED THE STRIP DURING THE SOFT FIELD TKOF. I LANDED IN WINSLOW 5 MIN AFTER. WE REFUELED AND FLEW BACK TO DEER VALLEY THE NEXT MORNING. AT DEER VALLEY THEY TOLD ME THAT THE NUMBERS IN THE POH I HAD WERE NOT THE RIGHT ONES FOR THE SMA (180 HP).

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.