Narrative:

Phase check and re-endorsement of student pilot for solo. Student has approximately 45 hours total time. After 1/2 hour of flight, aircraft engine fails while in the pattern at home airport. Aircraft was landed on road short of intended runway. No damage. Engine quit for undetermined reasons, oil/fuel ok. Carburetor heat control was operated normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting instructor pilot states that he simply ran out of usable fuel! The student preflted the aircraft and reported sufficient fuel. The logbooks and operations records supported the notion that there was plenty of fuel. It turns out that another pilot disconnected the recording tachometer and flew over 2 hours while logging only 0.2 hours. The other pilot confessed to this. The policy of the FBO was to fill the tanks only when demanded by the outgoing pilot instead of after every flight. The reporter has convinced the FBO to change this policy to filling the tanks after every flight. The reporter has also changed his affiliation with the FBO and is now flying for another FBO. There was no injury or damage, and the aircraft was taxied back to the airport with the fuel that was in the tanks. The reporter further states that the FBO has been in trouble with the FAA and has had many audits by the FAA. It also has had a few off field lndgs in the past. The reporter states that the pilot that stole the flight time was given immunity by the FBO to confess to this act of disconnecting the tachometer. This was important to the miscreant as he is reported to be an officer in the military and didn't want this to get out, or presumably, to go to jail and have his certificate listed. It is presumed that the miscreant had done this same tachometer disconnect before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED OFF ARPT AFTER USING ALL OF ITS USABLE FUEL.

Narrative: PHASE CHK AND RE-ENDORSEMENT OF STUDENT PLT FOR SOLO. STUDENT HAS APPROX 45 HRS TOTAL TIME. AFTER 1/2 HR OF FLT, ACFT ENG FAILS WHILE IN THE PATTERN AT HOME ARPT. ACFT WAS LANDED ON ROAD SHORT OF INTENDED RWY. NO DAMAGE. ENG QUIT FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, OIL/FUEL OK. CARB HEAT CTL WAS OPERATED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING INSTRUCTOR PLT STATES THAT HE SIMPLY RAN OUT OF USABLE FUEL! THE STUDENT PREFLTED THE ACFT AND RPTED SUFFICIENT FUEL. THE LOGBOOKS AND OPS RECORDS SUPPORTED THE NOTION THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF FUEL. IT TURNS OUT THAT ANOTHER PLT DISCONNECTED THE RECORDING TACHOMETER AND FLEW OVER 2 HRS WHILE LOGGING ONLY 0.2 HRS. THE OTHER PLT CONFESSED TO THIS. THE POLICY OF THE FBO WAS TO FILL THE TANKS ONLY WHEN DEMANDED BY THE OUTGOING PLT INSTEAD OF AFTER EVERY FLT. THE RPTR HAS CONVINCED THE FBO TO CHANGE THIS POLICY TO FILLING THE TANKS AFTER EVERY FLT. THE RPTR HAS ALSO CHANGED HIS AFFILIATION WITH THE FBO AND IS NOW FLYING FOR ANOTHER FBO. THERE WAS NO INJURY OR DAMAGE, AND THE ACFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE ARPT WITH THE FUEL THAT WAS IN THE TANKS. THE RPTR FURTHER STATES THAT THE FBO HAS BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE FAA AND HAS HAD MANY AUDITS BY THE FAA. IT ALSO HAS HAD A FEW OFF FIELD LNDGS IN THE PAST. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE PLT THAT STOLE THE FLT TIME WAS GIVEN IMMUNITY BY THE FBO TO CONFESS TO THIS ACT OF DISCONNECTING THE TACHOMETER. THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO THE MISCREANT AS HE IS RPTED TO BE AN OFFICER IN THE MIL AND DIDN'T WANT THIS TO GET OUT, OR PRESUMABLY, TO GO TO JAIL AND HAVE HIS CERTIFICATE LISTED. IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE MISCREANT HAD DONE THIS SAME TACHOMETER DISCONNECT BEFORE.

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.