Narrative:

It was the last leg of a 2 day, 1200 mi cross country from arkansas to new hampshire. I was flying an small aircraft, fighting moderate turbulence through unfamiliar country, mentally and physically fatigued and with a severe case of 'get homeitis' due to the holiday. I had received a WX briefing at williamsport, PA, which was the departure point of the last leg. My flight plan already planned, the trip was to last 3.1 hours, leaving me more than the 45 min fuel reserve requirement for VFR night flying. My WX briefing had forecasted quartering tailwinds, which unfortunately was not the case as I approached the last half of the trip. The winds had shifted to a direct headwind and blowing strong. As I approached my destination I noticed the trip had lasted a little longer than planned due to headwinds. The fuel tanks were reading a quarter full. According to the flight time and fuel gauges, I believed to have plenty of fuel to reach my destination. At this time I was about 10-12 mi south of concord airport, my destination, and about 2 mi north of manchester airport. As I experienced more turbulence, I noticed my fuel gauges were reading lower than moments before, that's when my engine began to run rough. I turned towards manchester airport which put me on a downwind on the active runway 35. Then suddenly my engine stopped. I immediately ran through the restarting procedures and prepared myself for an emergency landing. The restart attempt was a failure and I called manchester approach and declared an emergency and made them aware of my situation. Since I was already established on the downwind, manchester had cleared me for runway 35, and a normal approach to landing was performed, finishing up with a perfect normal landing and safely coasting to the side of the runway to wait to be assisted off by a tug. To prevent this type of situation, always allow for more time, be prepared to make an extra fuel stop, keep a current WX update, and never allow 'get homeitis' to push you and your airplane into a situation you may regret. Also you can never train enough for emergency situations, because things such as this can and will happen, and it can happen to anyone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT RAN OUT OF GAS IN NIGHT OP AND LANDED SAFELY ON AN ARPT.

Narrative: IT WAS THE LAST LEG OF A 2 DAY, 1200 MI XCOUNTRY FROM ARKANSAS TO NEW HAMPSHIRE. I WAS FLYING AN SMA, FIGHTING MODERATE TURB THROUGH UNFAMILIAR COUNTRY, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY FATIGUED AND WITH A SEVERE CASE OF 'GET HOMEITIS' DUE TO THE HOLIDAY. I HAD RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AT WILLIAMSPORT, PA, WHICH WAS THE DEP POINT OF THE LAST LEG. MY FLT PLAN ALREADY PLANNED, THE TRIP WAS TO LAST 3.1 HRS, LEAVING ME MORE THAN THE 45 MIN FUEL RESERVE REQUIREMENT FOR VFR NIGHT FLYING. MY WX BRIEFING HAD FORECASTED QUARTERING TAILWINDS, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT THE CASE AS I APCHED THE LAST HALF OF THE TRIP. THE WINDS HAD SHIFTED TO A DIRECT HEADWIND AND BLOWING STRONG. AS I APCHED MY DEST I NOTICED THE TRIP HAD LASTED A LITTLE LONGER THAN PLANNED DUE TO HEADWINDS. THE FUEL TANKS WERE READING A QUARTER FULL. ACCORDING TO THE FLT TIME AND FUEL GAUGES, I BELIEVED TO HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL TO REACH MY DEST. AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 10-12 MI S OF CONCORD ARPT, MY DEST, AND ABOUT 2 MI N OF MANCHESTER ARPT. AS I EXPERIENCED MORE TURB, I NOTICED MY FUEL GAUGES WERE READING LOWER THAN MOMENTS BEFORE, THAT'S WHEN MY ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. I TURNED TOWARDS MANCHESTER ARPT WHICH PUT ME ON A DOWNWIND ON THE ACTIVE RWY 35. THEN SUDDENLY MY ENG STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY RAN THROUGH THE RESTARTING PROCS AND PREPARED MYSELF FOR AN EMER LNDG. THE RESTART ATTEMPT WAS A FAILURE AND I CALLED MANCHESTER APCH AND DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE THEM AWARE OF MY SITUATION. SINCE I WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND, MANCHESTER HAD CLRED ME FOR RWY 35, AND A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG WAS PERFORMED, FINISHING UP WITH A PERFECT NORMAL LNDG AND SAFELY COASTING TO THE SIDE OF THE RWY TO WAIT TO BE ASSISTED OFF BY A TUG. TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION, ALWAYS ALLOW FOR MORE TIME, BE PREPARED TO MAKE AN EXTRA FUEL STOP, KEEP A CURRENT WX UPDATE, AND NEVER ALLOW 'GET HOMEITIS' TO PUSH YOU AND YOUR AIRPLANE INTO A SITUATION YOU MAY REGRET. ALSO YOU CAN NEVER TRAIN ENOUGH FOR EMER SITUATIONS, BECAUSE THINGS SUCH AS THIS CAN AND WILL HAPPEN, AND IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.

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.