Narrative:

My flight originated in la grand, or, on the morning of MM/dd/92, there was 1 passenger with me. Prior to taking off, I got a WX briefing for a flight from la grand, or, to san jose, ca, via bend, and klamath falls, or. The WX briefer stated the WX was VFR but marginal along the route of flight. I lifted off and headed toward bend and see how the WX was at that location. If the WX worsened, I planned to stop over in bend until I could proceed. About a half an hour into my flight, the WX began to get worse and the ceiling lowered. I turned back and headed east and the WX improved, so I made a decision to go to reno, nv, and spend the night before proceeding to san jose, ca. The WX along this route was VFR with some moderate turbulence because of strong winds. The direct flight distance from la grande to reno was determined to be 356 mi and approximately 2 hours and 41 mins flying time. The fuel tanks were topped off in la grand with 52 gallons of fuel. I had been in the air for an hour when I changed my course to reno. My remaining time of fuel upon my arrival in reno would have still been 1 hour and 38 mins based on a consumption of 9 gallons per hour. I was 34 mins and 48 mi out of reno when I lost power and declared a mayday. I attempted all the emergency restart procedures and was unable to get a restart. One of the things that puzzled me was that I was indicating 38 pounds of fuel in my right tank when the engine quit. At first, I thought I might have carburetor ice because I was indicating fuel in my right tank. Pulling the carburetor heat on did not have any effect on the restart. I was fortunate to land on a dirt road with no injuries and no aircraft damage. Search and rescue parties from lovelock picked us up and took us into lovelock, nv, where we spent the night. The following morning the sheriff of lovelock took me back to the airplane with 20 gallons of fuel. I took off and went into lovelock, topped off my tanks and picked up my passenger, and proceeded to san jose, ca. A few things led up to the problem: 1) too much reliance on my fuel gauges, because the right fuel tank indicated 38 pounds of fuel and, in fact, was empty. 2) I encountered strong headwinds over nv, which extended my flying time, using more fuel than I had anticipated. 3) the fuel burn rate was greater than I had planned for. In retrospect, I can only say more attention should have been given to total flight time and less reliance on my fuel tank gauges.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PRIVATE SMA PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL, WITH 38 POUNDS SHOWING ON HIS GAUGES AND HAD TO LAND ON A ROAD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY RPTED.

Narrative: MY FLT ORIGINATED IN LA GRAND, OR, ON THE MORNING OF MM/DD/92, THERE WAS 1 PAX WITH ME. PRIOR TO TAKING OFF, I GOT A WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT FROM LA GRAND, OR, TO SAN JOSE, CA, VIA BEND, AND KLAMATH FALLS, OR. THE WX BRIEFER STATED THE WX WAS VFR BUT MARGINAL ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. I LIFTED OFF AND HEADED TOWARD BEND AND SEE HOW THE WX WAS AT THAT LOCATION. IF THE WX WORSENED, I PLANNED TO STOP OVER IN BEND UNTIL I COULD PROCEED. ABOUT A HALF AN HR INTO MY FLT, THE WX BEGAN TO GET WORSE AND THE CEILING LOWERED. I TURNED BACK AND HEADED E AND THE WX IMPROVED, SO I MADE A DECISION TO GO TO RENO, NV, AND SPEND THE NIGHT BEFORE PROCEEDING TO SAN JOSE, CA. THE WX ALONG THIS RTE WAS VFR WITH SOME MODERATE TURB BECAUSE OF STRONG WINDS. THE DIRECT FLT DISTANCE FROM LA GRANDE TO RENO WAS DETERMINED TO BE 356 MI AND APPROX 2 HRS AND 41 MINS FLYING TIME. THE FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF IN LA GRAND WITH 52 GALLONS OF FUEL. I HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR AN HR WHEN I CHANGED MY COURSE TO RENO. MY REMAINING TIME OF FUEL UPON MY ARR IN RENO WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN 1 HR AND 38 MINS BASED ON A CONSUMPTION OF 9 GALLONS PER HR. I WAS 34 MINS AND 48 MI OUT OF RENO WHEN I LOST PWR AND DECLARED A MAYDAY. I ATTEMPTED ALL THE EMER RESTART PROCS AND WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESTART. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PUZZLED ME WAS THAT I WAS INDICATING 38 POUNDS OF FUEL IN MY R TANK WHEN THE ENG QUIT. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE CARB ICE BECAUSE I WAS INDICATING FUEL IN MY R TANK. PULLING THE CARB HEAT ON DID NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE RESTART. I WAS FORTUNATE TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD WITH NO INJURIES AND NO ACFT DAMAGE. SEARCH AND RESCUE PARTIES FROM LOVELOCK PICKED US UP AND TOOK US INTO LOVELOCK, NV, WHERE WE SPENT THE NIGHT. THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE SHERIFF OF LOVELOCK TOOK ME BACK TO THE AIRPLANE WITH 20 GALLONS OF FUEL. I TOOK OFF AND WENT INTO LOVELOCK, TOPPED OFF MY TANKS AND PICKED UP MY PAX, AND PROCEEDED TO SAN JOSE, CA. A FEW THINGS LED UP TO THE PROBLEM: 1) TOO MUCH RELIANCE ON MY FUEL GAUGES, BECAUSE THE R FUEL TANK INDICATED 38 POUNDS OF FUEL AND, IN FACT, WAS EMPTY. 2) I ENCOUNTERED STRONG HEADWINDS OVER NV, WHICH EXTENDED MY FLYING TIME, USING MORE FUEL THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. 3) THE FUEL BURN RATE WAS GREATER THAN I HAD PLANNED FOR. IN RETROSPECT, I CAN ONLY SAY MORE ATTN SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO TOTAL FLT TIME AND LESS RELIANCE ON MY FUEL TANK GAUGES.

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.