Narrative:

Was on a short flight from greater peoria to jacksonville when the aircraft engine ceased operation. Was able to land safely on a farm road, but landed gear up after successfully maintaining enough airspeed to just clear several large trees at one of the farms. The fuel gauges in this type of aircraft are known to be inaccurate, and that situation has never been corrected. To compensate for this, I have purposely exhausted the fuel in each tank and marked the 'true' empty position with dymo tape strips. These tape position have been checked on a semi-periodic basis. The indicated fuel available for this short flight, based on the tape strip position, was approximately 12 gallons, which should have been more than adequate. Those position were apparently no longer valid -- approximately 6 gallons were indicated to be available at touchdown. It is, in my opinion, a sad commentary to not be able to rely on the fuel gauges in an airplane as opposed to, say, an ordinary automobile. It is ridiculous for a pilot to have to rely on dymo tape strips to evaluate a fuel situation. Indeed, one of the tanks is actually empty when the needle hits 1/4 full. In other words, a 25 percent error. Surely, manufacturer could do better than this and they should be made to rectify the existing situation. All of this is not to say that the tanks should not have had more fuel in them, that is basically my responsibility. However, the fuel required for a 70 NM flight at 160 NM/hour is about 6 gallons. 12 gallons thus gave, theoretically, a 100 percent safety factor. Further, there was a tailwind which gave a resultant DME readout of about 175 NM/hour, or less than 6 gallons required. An intersection takeoff at peoria, and the minimal climb to 1500 ft altitude, with 2 notches of flaps, took minimal additional fuel usage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKES FORCED LNDG WHEN IT RUNS OUT OF FUEL. FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: WAS ON A SHORT FLT FROM GREATER PEORIA TO JACKSONVILLE WHEN THE ACFT ENG CEASED OP. WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY ON A FARM ROAD, BUT LANDED GEAR UP AFTER SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAINING ENOUGH AIRSPD TO JUST CLR SEVERAL LARGE TREES AT ONE OF THE FARMS. THE FUEL GAUGES IN THIS TYPE OF ACFT ARE KNOWN TO BE INACCURATE, AND THAT SIT HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECTED. TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS, I HAVE PURPOSELY EXHAUSTED THE FUEL IN EACH TANK AND MARKED THE 'TRUE' EMPTY POS WITH DYMO TAPE STRIPS. THESE TAPE POS HAVE BEEN CHKED ON A SEMI-PERIODIC BASIS. THE INDICATED FUEL AVAILABLE FOR THIS SHORT FLT, BASED ON THE TAPE STRIP POS, WAS APPROX 12 GALLONS, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN ADEQUATE. THOSE POS WERE APPARENTLY NO LONGER VALID -- APPROXIMATELY 6 GALLONS WERE INDICATED TO BE AVAILABLE AT TOUCHDOWN. IT IS, IN MY OPINION, A SAD COMMENTARY TO NOT BE ABLE TO RELY ON THE FUEL GAUGES IN AN AIRPLANE AS OPPOSED TO, SAY, AN ORDINARY AUTOMOBILE. IT IS RIDICULOUS FOR A PLT TO HAVE TO RELY ON DYMO TAPE STRIPS TO EVALUATE A FUEL SIT. INDEED, ONE OF THE TANKS IS ACTUALLY EMPTY WHEN THE NEEDLE HITS 1/4 FULL. IN OTHER WORDS, A 25 PERCENT ERROR. SURELY, MANUFACTURER COULD DO BETTER THAN THIS AND THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO RECTIFY THE EXISTING SIT. ALL OF THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE TANKS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD MORE FUEL IN THEM, THAT IS BASICALLY MY RESPONSIBILITY. HOWEVER, THE FUEL REQUIRED FOR A 70 NM FLT AT 160 NM/HR IS ABOUT 6 GALLONS. 12 GALLONS THUS GAVE, THEORETICALLY, A 100 PERCENT SAFETY FACTOR. FURTHER, THERE WAS A TAILWIND WHICH GAVE A RESULTANT DME READOUT OF ABOUT 175 NM/HR, OR LESS THAN 6 GALLONS REQUIRED. AN INTXN TKOF AT PEORIA, AND THE MINIMAL CLB TO 1500 FT ALT, WITH 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS, TOOK MINIMAL ADDITIONAL FUEL USAGE.

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.