An small aircraft pilot ran out of fuel and landed on a highway at night without injury or damage.

Attributes
ACN	215247
Time
Date	199207
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pfn
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pfn
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 130 flight time type : 9
ASRS Report	215247
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

This report deals with the forced landing that took place on sun, jul, at approximately HI45, in panama city. The aircraft was landed on the highway 231 out of panama city by the pilot, due to insufficient fuel. The forced landing was successful in the fact that there was no injury incurred by anyone, no damage was made to any property and there was very little disturbance to the general public. The flight originated from lewis airport (cedar key cdk). The briefer informed him that there was some bad WX on the way into the destination airport. Using this dip stick, he noted that he had just under 7 gallons in one tank and just over 7 gallons in the other. He then calculated that with 14 gallons, at a burn rate of 5.5 gallons per hour, he would have 2 hours and 35 mins of flying time. He then estimated that his average ground speed would be 90 KTS. With these figures, he calculated that the flight should take him 1 hour and 50 mins. This would give him time to fly to the airfield and allow for the 45 mins night reserve. Once the PIC had panama city in sight, he informed approach and contacted panama city tower. Approximately 7 mi away from the airfield, the engine sputtered and stopped. The PIC informed tower that he had a full engine failure. He noted that the engine had stopped after approximately 1:50 mins according to his stop watch. To confirm that he had the airfield in sight, he asked tower for a vector to the airfield. It looked like the aircraft was going to make the airfield when it suddenly hit a pocket of hot air. This is when the PIC told tower that he could not make the airfield but there was some large roads there. The PIC decided the safest place to put down was on the highway. The road was well illuminated and the PIC could see that there was no obstructions at the proposed touch down point. The PIC drove the aircraft off the road onto the central reservation so as to clear the road. Once down and communications to tower had ceased, the PIC turned the masters off and waited for the authorities to arrive. Later the police and many other officials turned up. The PIC was informed that the FAA and the NTSB had been informed. The next morning, the aircraft was flown off the road by the owner. The PIC then flew the aircraft back to enterprise, al.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED ON A HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WITHOUT INJURY OR DAMAGE.

Narrative: THIS RPT DEALS WITH THE FORCED LNDG THAT TOOK PLACE ON SUN, JUL, AT APPROX HI45, IN PANAMA CITY. THE ACFT WAS LANDED ON THE HIGHWAY 231 OUT OF PANAMA CITY BY THE PLT, DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL. THE FORCED LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL IN THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO INJURY INCURRED BY ANYONE, NO DAMAGE WAS MADE TO ANY PROPERTY AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DISTURBANCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE FLT ORIGINATED FROM LEWIS ARPT (CEDAR KEY CDK). THE BRIEFER INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WAS SOME BAD WX ON THE WAY INTO THE DEST ARPT. USING THIS DIP STICK, HE NOTED THAT HE HAD JUST UNDER 7 GALLONS IN ONE TANK AND JUST OVER 7 GALLONS IN THE OTHER. HE THEN CALCULATED THAT WITH 14 GALLONS, AT A BURN RATE OF 5.5 GALLONS PER HR, HE WOULD HAVE 2 HRS AND 35 MINS OF FLYING TIME. HE THEN ESTIMATED THAT HIS AVERAGE GND SPD WOULD BE 90 KTS. WITH THESE FIGURES, HE CALCULATED THAT THE FLT SHOULD TAKE HIM 1 HR AND 50 MINS. THIS WOULD GIVE HIM TIME TO FLY TO THE AIRFIELD AND ALLOW FOR THE 45 MINS NIGHT RESERVE. ONCE THE PIC HAD PANAMA CITY IN SIGHT, HE INFORMED APCH AND CONTACTED PANAMA CITY TWR. APPROX 7 MI AWAY FROM THE AIRFIELD, THE ENG SPUTTERED AND STOPPED. THE PIC INFORMED TWR THAT HE HAD A FULL ENG FAILURE. HE NOTED THAT THE ENG HAD STOPPED AFTER APPROX 1:50 MINS ACCORDING TO HIS STOP WATCH. TO CONFIRM THAT HE HAD THE AIRFIELD IN SIGHT, HE ASKED TWR FOR A VECTOR TO THE AIRFIELD. IT LOOKED LIKE THE ACFT WAS GOING TO MAKE THE AIRFIELD WHEN IT SUDDENLY HIT A POCKET OF HOT AIR. THIS IS WHEN THE PIC TOLD TWR THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE AIRFIELD BUT THERE WAS SOME LARGE ROADS THERE. THE PIC DECIDED THE SAFEST PLACE TO PUT DOWN WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ROAD WAS WELL ILLUMINATED AND THE PIC COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS NO OBSTRUCTIONS AT THE PROPOSED TOUCH DOWN POINT. THE PIC DROVE THE ACFT OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE CENTRAL RESERVATION SO AS TO CLR THE ROAD. ONCE DOWN AND COMS TO TWR HAD CEASED, THE PIC TURNED THE MASTERS OFF AND WAITED FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO ARRIVE. LATER THE POLICE AND MANY OTHER OFFICIALS TURNED UP. THE PIC WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAA AND THE NTSB HAD BEEN INFORMED. THE NEXT MORNING, THE ACFT WAS FLOWN OFF THE ROAD BY THE OWNER. THE PIC THEN FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO ENTERPRISE, AL.

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.