A private small aircraft pilot had a fuel gauge problem and landed safety off route

Attributes
ACN	208291
Time
Date	199204
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oxi
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other landing other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zau
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 780 flight time type : 730
ASRS Report	208291
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During climb the fuel gauges indicated less fuel than normal 0.2 hours after refueling. This condition continued after leveling off at cruising altitude (6000 MSL) so I requested from ZAU to land at the nearest airport. On the ground, the gauges read normal and the aircraft required the amount of fuel to fill the tanks that would be expected after .5 hours of engine operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PRIVATE SMA PLT HAD A FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM AND LANDED SAFETY OFF RTE

Narrative: DURING CLB THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED LESS FUEL THAN NORMAL 0.2 HRS AFTER REFUELING. THIS CONDITION CONTINUED AFTER LEVELING OFF AT CRUISING ALT (6000 MSL) SO I REQUESTED FROM ZAU TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT. ON THE GND, THE GAUGES READ NORMAL AND THE ACFT REQUIRED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL TO FILL THE TANKS THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED AFTER .5 HRS OF ENG 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.