Emergency off airport forced landing in small aircraft on ferry flight.

Attributes
ACN	235677
Time
Date	199303
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : h71
State Reference	OK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1500 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	235677
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The airplane ran out of fuel due to bad seals on the fuel caps. 54 gallons of fuel were siphoned out in flight in just over 1 hour. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback to reporter revealed that the aircraft was on a ferry flight for an acceptance annual inspection at mid-america industrial airport, ok. Tanks indicated full at departure 1 hour prior from TX05, near mckinney, tx, just north of dallas/ft worth. Reporter did not question the drop in fuel level on tank gauges as he didn't know if they were functional as the aircraft had just been taken from seller. Reporter landed on highway 69 without any damage. The FAA authorized a refuel and takeoff to destination airport at mid-america industrial airport. Post-flight inspection had revealed that the seals had dried out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG IN SMA ON FERRY FLT.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL DUE TO BAD SEALS ON THE FUEL CAPS. 54 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE SIPHONED OUT IN FLT IN JUST OVER 1 HR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK TO RPTR REVEALED THAT THE ACFT WAS ON A FERRY FLT FOR AN ACCEPTANCE ANNUAL INSPECTION AT MID-AMERICA INDUSTRIAL ARPT, OK. TANKS INDICATED FULL AT DEP 1 HR PRIOR FROM TX05, NEAR MCKINNEY, TX, JUST N OF DALLAS/FT WORTH. RPTR DID NOT QUESTION THE DROP IN FUEL LEVEL ON TANK GAUGES AS HE DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WERE FUNCTIONAL AS THE ACFT HAD JUST BEEN TAKEN FROM SELLER. RPTR LANDED ON HIGHWAY 69 WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. THE FAA AUTHORIZED A REFUEL AND TKOF TO DEST ARPT AT MID-AMERICA INDUSTRIAL ARPT. POST-FLT INSPECTION HAD REVEALED THAT THE SEALS HAD DRIED OUT.

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.