Narrative:

Flight was cross country from beaufort, nc, to hyde field, md, right outside washington, dc. Fuel planning showed that we would have 45 mins of reserve fuel on landing, so we were using a little over 3/4 of our available fuel. About 2/3 of the way there, the left fuel gauge still indicated full and the right indicated just over 1/4 of the tank remaining so I switched the fuel selector valve to left. We entered the washington TCA -- 20 mins later where workload increased dramatically on our VFR flight. We received approach control vectors to the uncontrolled field and switched to unicom frequency. I entered the landing pattern directly over the duty runway 500 ft above pattern altitude and began my descent at the upwind numbers. At 1200 ft MSL (field elevation 49 ft) the engine flamed out with no warning at all. I glided around the pattern, declaring my intentions and situation on unicom frequency. I went through the landing checklist but skipped the fuel selector. I flew the pattern too tight and ended up turning to final in 60 degree angle of bank about 50 ft over 2 airplanes in the hold short area. I landed on the runway to discover that the left brake was inoperative and was unable to correct right drift on runway and ran off the edge into the grass with no damage to the aircraft or the airport property. Post-flight inspection revealed hole in left brake line and left tank dry and about 10 gallons north right tank. Left fuel indicator showed 3/4 full and right showed just under 1/4 remaining. This high wing small aircraft aircraft needs better fuel gauges. I need to do better landing checks and I will never again use the fuel selector valve, regardless of fuel indications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER LNDG AT NON TWR ARPT BY SMA PLT AFTER EXPERIENCING ENG STOPPAGE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. PLT LOSES ACFT CTL AND HAS A RWY EXCURSION. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED HOLE IN L BRAKE LINE.

Narrative: FLT WAS XCOUNTRY FROM BEAUFORT, NC, TO HYDE FIELD, MD, RIGHT OUTSIDE WASHINGTON, DC. FUEL PLANNING SHOWED THAT WE WOULD HAVE 45 MINS OF RESERVE FUEL ON LNDG, SO WE WERE USING A LITTLE OVER 3/4 OF OUR AVAILABLE FUEL. ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY THERE, THE L FUEL GAUGE STILL INDICATED FULL AND THE R INDICATED JUST OVER 1/4 OF THE TANK REMAINING SO I SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO L. WE ENTERED THE WASHINGTON TCA -- 20 MINS LATER WHERE WORKLOAD INCREASED DRAMATICALLY ON OUR VFR FLT. WE RECEIVED APCH CTL VECTORS TO THE UNCTLED FIELD AND SWITCHED TO UNICOM FREQ. I ENTERED THE LNDG PATTERN DIRECTLY OVER THE DUTY RWY 500 FT ABOVE PATTERN ALT AND BEGAN MY DSCNT AT THE UPWIND NUMBERS. AT 1200 FT MSL (FIELD ELEVATION 49 FT) THE ENG FLAMED OUT WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. I GLIDED AROUND THE PATTERN, DECLARING MY INTENTIONS AND SITUATION ON UNICOM FREQ. I WENT THROUGH THE LNDG CHKLIST BUT SKIPPED THE FUEL SELECTOR. I FLEW THE PATTERN TOO TIGHT AND ENDED UP TURNING TO FINAL IN 60 DEG ANGLE OF BANK ABOUT 50 FT OVER 2 AIRPLANES IN THE HOLD SHORT AREA. I LANDED ON THE RWY TO DISCOVER THAT THE L BRAKE WAS INOP AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT R DRIFT ON RWY AND RAN OFF THE EDGE INTO THE GRASS WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR THE ARPT PROPERTY. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED HOLE IN L BRAKE LINE AND L TANK DRY AND ABOUT 10 GALLONS N R TANK. L FUEL INDICATOR SHOWED 3/4 FULL AND R SHOWED JUST UNDER 1/4 REMAINING. THIS HIGH WING SMA ACFT NEEDS BETTER FUEL GAUGES. I NEED TO DO BETTER LNDG CHKS AND I WILL NEVER AGAIN USE THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, REGARDLESS OF FUEL INDICATIONS.

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.