An small aircraft pilot ran out of fuel and landed off airport.

Attributes
ACN	237841
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tx4
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4200 msl bound upper : 4200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 2000
ASRS Report	237841
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Takeoff normal, runway 26, TX4, 3/4 of the way down runway, engine quit running. Lowered flaps to try for remaining runway, but too short. Engine started developing power. Turned crosswind to left when engine quit again. Turned downwind back toward runway. Tried carburetor heat, pumping mixture. Engine sputtered and then quit. Insufficient altitude to get back to runway. Set up for off field landing. Lowered flaps to 40 degrees to slow aircraft. Controled descent at just above stall (approximately 38 mph) tailwind about 8-9 mph. Contacted sand dune with nose gear, bounced once then contacted sand dune with left wing, spun around headed west. Climbed out unhurt. Apparent cause of power loss was fuel starvation. Aircraft had been fueled by myself at elp just prior to trip to TX4. It was not filled, just added 10 gallons, had approximately 5 gallons aboard. Flight time was no more than 15-20 mins. Fuel enough for at least 2 1/2 hours at 5-6 gallons per hour (which was normal consumption for this aircraft).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED OFF ARPT.

Narrative: TKOF NORMAL, RWY 26, TX4, 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN RWY, ENG QUIT RUNNING. LOWERED FLAPS TO TRY FOR REMAINING RWY, BUT TOO SHORT. ENG STARTED DEVELOPING PWR. TURNED XWIND TO L WHEN ENG QUIT AGAIN. TURNED DOWNWIND BACK TOWARD RWY. TRIED CARB HEAT, PUMPING MIXTURE. ENG SPUTTERED AND THEN QUIT. INSUFFICIENT ALT TO GET BACK TO RWY. SET UP FOR OFF FIELD LNDG. LOWERED FLAPS TO 40 DEGS TO SLOW ACFT. CTLED DSCNT AT JUST ABOVE STALL (APPROX 38 MPH) TAILWIND ABOUT 8-9 MPH. CONTACTED SAND DUNE WITH NOSE GEAR, BOUNCED ONCE THEN CONTACTED SAND DUNE WITH L WING, SPUN AROUND HEADED W. CLBED OUT UNHURT. APPARENT CAUSE OF PWR LOSS WAS FUEL STARVATION. ACFT HAD BEEN FUELED BY MYSELF AT ELP JUST PRIOR TO TRIP TO TX4. IT WAS NOT FILLED, JUST ADDED 10 GALLONS, HAD APPROX 5 GALLONS ABOARD. FLT TIME WAS NO MORE THAN 15-20 MINS. FUEL ENOUGH FOR AT LEAST 2 1/2 HRS AT 5-6 GALLONS PER HR (WHICH WAS NORMAL CONSUMPTION FOR THIS ACFT).

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.