Narrative:

I was flying VFR from seg to ilm. I received a standard briefing from FSS indicating a 6000 ft ceiling and 15 mi visibility through my route of flight. I contacted flight watch at the linden VOR (before going over the mountains) and they indicated that the ceiling was 6000 ft and visibility 15 mi along my route of flight. As I flew to the flatrock VOR, the visibility and ceiling deteriorated. I was forced down to 1500 ft in order to see the ground and remain clear of the clouds. The visibility seemed to be getting worse as I reached the flatrock VOR. My destination was ptb (25 NM) for refueling and continuing to ilm. I had been flying for 3 hours when I reached the flatrock VOR and had approximately 45 mins of fuel left. I decided that I would land at one of the private airports, refuel (stc'd for automatic) and continue when the WX improved. I remained over the powhatan area for approximately 1 hour trying to locate one of the airports and could not. My wife was assisting with navigation. The airport that I attempted to land at had no windsock or planes on it to help with identify. I knew I was running low on fuel and chose the best field that I felt was available. My first attempt to land after a safety fly- over was too high and I had to go around. My final attempt, I was forced to go around due to a gully in the middle of the runway that did not allow me to land safely and stop. I applied full power and retracted the flaps and the engine began to sputter indicating a lack of fuel. I was 20 to 40 ft above the ground trying to avoid obstructions. The engine did develop intermittent power and then stopped running. I was trying to locate a place to land the plane. After avoiding several objects I was over route 60 eastbound lane flying into traffic. I found an opening and flew over to the wbound lane (with traffic) and landed without incident. No damage to the plane or passenger. The state police were contacted at my request, and he filled out a report and allowed me to taxi the plane to a local airport I refueled with automatic and departed 2 days later. I am based at a 2000 ft grass strip and I could not locate the airports in this area from 1500 ft of altitude and an hour of looking. A local pilot said most of the airports had grown over or had crops on them. If the airports were easier to locate, I would have landed much sooner without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT MADE FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION ON A XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM SEG TO ILM. I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING FROM FSS INDICATING A 6000 FT CEILING AND 15 MI VISIBILITY THROUGH MY RTE OF FLT. I CONTACTED FLT WATCH AT THE LINDEN VOR (BEFORE GOING OVER THE MOUNTAINS) AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE CEILING WAS 6000 FT AND VISIBILITY 15 MI ALONG MY RTE OF FLT. AS I FLEW TO THE FLATROCK VOR, THE VISIBILITY AND CEILING DETERIORATED. I WAS FORCED DOWN TO 1500 FT IN ORDER TO SEE THE GND AND REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS. THE VISIBILITY SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE AS I REACHED THE FLATROCK VOR. MY DEST WAS PTB (25 NM) FOR REFUELING AND CONTINUING TO ILM. I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 3 HRS WHEN I REACHED THE FLATROCK VOR AND HAD APPROX 45 MINS OF FUEL LEFT. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD LAND AT ONE OF THE PRIVATE ARPTS, REFUEL (STC'D FOR AUTO) AND CONTINUE WHEN THE WX IMPROVED. I REMAINED OVER THE POWHATAN AREA FOR APPROX 1 HR TRYING TO LOCATE ONE OF THE ARPTS AND COULD NOT. MY WIFE WAS ASSISTING WITH NAV. THE ARPT THAT I ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT HAD NO WINDSOCK OR PLANES ON IT TO HELP WITH IDENT. I KNEW I WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL AND CHOSE THE BEST FIELD THAT I FELT WAS AVAILABLE. MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAND AFTER A SAFETY FLY- OVER WAS TOO HIGH AND I HAD TO GAR. MY FINAL ATTEMPT, I WAS FORCED TO GAR DUE TO A GULLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY THAT DID NOT ALLOW ME TO LAND SAFELY AND STOP. I APPLIED FULL PWR AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER INDICATING A LACK OF FUEL. I WAS 20 TO 40 FT ABOVE THE GND TRYING TO AVOID OBSTRUCTIONS. THE ENG DID DEVELOP INTERMITTENT PWR AND THEN STOPPED RUNNING. I WAS TRYING TO LOCATE A PLACE TO LAND THE PLANE. AFTER AVOIDING SEVERAL OBJECTS I WAS OVER RTE 60 EBOUND LANE FLYING INTO TFC. I FOUND AN OPENING AND FLEW OVER TO THE WBOUND LANE (WITH TFC) AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OR PAX. THE STATE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AT MY REQUEST, AND HE FILLED OUT A RPT AND ALLOWED ME TO TAXI THE PLANE TO A LCL ARPT I REFUELED WITH AUTO AND DEPARTED 2 DAYS LATER. I AM BASED AT A 2000 FT GRASS STRIP AND I COULD NOT LOCATE THE ARPTS IN THIS AREA FROM 1500 FT OF ALT AND AN HR OF LOOKING. A LCL PLT SAID MOST OF THE ARPTS HAD GROWN OVER OR HAD CROPS ON THEM. IF THE ARPTS WERE EASIER TO LOCATE, I WOULD HAVE LANDED MUCH SOONER WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.