Narrative:

On D day at HX00 am, I departed acy in an small aircraft with tanks nearly full on both sides. I planned a 3 hour trip to monroeville airport, PA. I planned to refuel at monroeville, then fly back to acy with no events. When I arrived at monroeville, I observed that they no longer pump aviation fuel. Several pilots at monroeville suggested west penn saying it was about 10 mins away, just over the river. I noted about 10 gallons remaining the right tank and just a few gallons in the left. I planned on a 15 min flight to west penn airport, and over 45 mins of extra fuel time considering the small aircraft burns about 10 gallons per hour. I departed monroeville heading of 50 degree and cross the river. I should have flown 350 degree from monroeville to west penn airport. I used my VOR/DME to assist in flying to west penn, but I could not recognize it. I called pittsburg approach and asked for vectors to west penn. I further clearly stated I was at a fuel critical status since I had been flying for about 20 mins. I received min vectoring to the airport, and it was sporadic. I realize at this point I should have declared an emergency, so that I could receive priority, but the controller was so busy with other traffic. The controller told me I was about 6 mi from butler county airport. At that point my engine began to fail and I realized I was out of fuel or close to out of fuel. At this point I went through emergency fuel procedures, leveled wings and the attitude and waited for the power to return. The power did not return. I told pittsburg approach I was making a landing where I was. I prepared my passengers for the worst. I made a dead stick controled landing in a field with no damage to the aircraft and no injuries. I called pittsburg approach and notified them we were safely on the ground. I made several phone calls. I called my family, pittsburg approach, and the FSDO. I inspected the aircraft very thoroughly for any damage to the landing gear, struts, brakes, wings, tail and I found nothing wrong. I further checked the fuel tanks and found gas in them (about 1 gallon in left and 3 gallons in right) I found no water contaminants in the fuel. I had also arranged for gas delivery from nearby butler county airport. I received a call from B (FSDO representative) at the farm and we went over what had happened. B did his investigation, I taxied the aircraft to the takeoff strip and took off and flew to butler county airport. I flew solo with no cargo to have the least weight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED OFF ARPT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, OR NO DAMAGE.

Narrative: ON D DAY AT HX00 AM, I DEPARTED ACY IN AN SMA WITH TANKS NEARLY FULL ON BOTH SIDES. I PLANNED A 3 HR TRIP TO MONROEVILLE ARPT, PA. I PLANNED TO REFUEL AT MONROEVILLE, THEN FLY BACK TO ACY WITH NO EVENTS. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MONROEVILLE, I OBSERVED THAT THEY NO LONGER PUMP AVIATION FUEL. SEVERAL PLTS AT MONROEVILLE SUGGESTED W PENN SAYING IT WAS ABOUT 10 MINS AWAY, JUST OVER THE RIVER. I NOTED ABOUT 10 GALLONS REMAINING THE R TANK AND JUST A FEW GALLONS IN THE L. I PLANNED ON A 15 MIN FLT TO W PENN ARPT, AND OVER 45 MINS OF EXTRA FUEL TIME CONSIDERING THE SMA BURNS ABOUT 10 GALLONS PER HR. I DEPARTED MONROEVILLE HDG OF 50 DEG AND CROSS THE RIVER. I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN 350 DEG FROM MONROEVILLE TO W PENN ARPT. I USED MY VOR/DME TO ASSIST IN FLYING TO W PENN, BUT I COULD NOT RECOGNIZE IT. I CALLED PITTSBURG APCH AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO W PENN. I FURTHER CLRLY STATED I WAS AT A FUEL CRITICAL STATUS SINCE I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. I RECEIVED MIN VECTORING TO THE ARPT, AND IT WAS SPORADIC. I REALIZE AT THIS POINT I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER, SO THAT I COULD RECEIVE PRIORITY, BUT THE CTLR WAS SO BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS ABOUT 6 MI FROM BUTLER COUNTY ARPT. AT THAT POINT MY ENG BEGAN TO FAIL AND I REALIZED I WAS OUT OF FUEL OR CLOSE TO OUT OF FUEL. AT THIS POINT I WENT THROUGH EMER FUEL PROCS, LEVELED WINGS AND THE ATTITUDE AND WAITED FOR THE PWR TO RETURN. THE PWR DID NOT RETURN. I TOLD PITTSBURG APCH I WAS MAKING A LNDG WHERE I WAS. I PREPARED MY PAXS FOR THE WORST. I MADE A DEAD STICK CTLED LNDG IN A FIELD WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO INJURIES. I CALLED PITTSBURG APCH AND NOTIFIED THEM WE WERE SAFELY ON THE GND. I MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS. I CALLED MY FAMILY, PITTSBURG APCH, AND THE FSDO. I INSPECTED THE ACFT VERY THOROUGHLY FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE LNDG GEAR, STRUTS, BRAKES, WINGS, TAIL AND I FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I FURTHER CHKED THE FUEL TANKS AND FOUND GAS IN THEM (ABOUT 1 GALLON IN L AND 3 GALLONS IN R) I FOUND NO WATER CONTAMINANTS IN THE FUEL. I HAD ALSO ARRANGED FOR GAS DELIVERY FROM NEARBY BUTLER COUNTY ARPT. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM B (FSDO REPRESENTATIVE) AT THE FARM AND WE WENT OVER WHAT HAD HAPPENED. B DID HIS INVESTIGATION, I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE TKOF STRIP AND TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO BUTLER COUNTY ARPT. I FLEW SOLO WITH NO CARGO TO HAVE THE LEAST WT.

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.