Narrative:

My friend and I departed fof at XA30 EDT on apr/xx/93 for a pleasure trip to miv. I made a flight plan the previous night that would hug the long island and new jersey shoreline. My employer told me that morning before departure that I should go direct which would take me over the atlantic, the savings in time would be considerable and he wanted me back at work that afternoon. He also told me to take that aircraft and that it had 35 gallons on board which would be enough for the trip. That amount was calculated with 8 gallons/hour fuel consumption and previous tach time. After making a quick and hasty flight plan I went out to preflight the airplane. The preflight was thorough, the fuel gauges indicated a little more than 30 gallons but the visual check indicated approximately less than 36 (when the fuel is level with the tab there is 18 gallons left anything less than that tab is an approximation). Both tanks were slightly below the tabs. The leg to miv was uneventful. The total time was 1.6. Before departing miv I made a flight plan, the fuel gauges indicated a total of 20 gallons which would be enough for the 2.1 hour flight back. The headwind encountered en route was stronger than forecast and my direct route left me with no options. 3/4 into the trip I decided to go to isp, a closer airport, to refuel. The engine started to sputter. I switched tanks, turned on the fuel pump and the engine came back to life. I contacted new york approach about 15 mi south of the airport. They asked me to descend to 2000 ft. I started a slow descent and about 10 mi south I had the engine fail. I completed the emergency checklist and looked for a landing spot. I stayed away from residential areas and put her on the beach on fire island. I chose the hard packed sand near the shore. The airplane stopped within 100 ft with absolutely no damage or injuries. Both fuel gauges showed approximately 3 gallons when the engine quit. Visual inspection of the tanks after landing, showed what I believe to be only unusable fuel left. Flying over an area with no alternate airports or landing sites warrants much more fuel than the minimums prescribed by the FARS. The fuel gauges were unpredictably in error and there is no sure method of measuring the fuel quantity in the tanks when below the tabs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG. FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: MY FRIEND AND I DEPARTED FOF AT XA30 EDT ON APR/XX/93 FOR A PLEASURE TRIP TO MIV. I MADE A FLT PLAN THE PREVIOUS NIGHT THAT WOULD HUG THE LONG ISLAND AND NEW JERSEY SHORELINE. MY EMPLOYER TOLD ME THAT MORNING BEFORE DEP THAT I SHOULD GO DIRECT WHICH WOULD TAKE ME OVER THE ATLANTIC, THE SAVINGS IN TIME WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE AND HE WANTED ME BACK AT WORK THAT AFTERNOON. HE ALSO TOLD ME TO TAKE THAT ACFT AND THAT IT HAD 35 GALLONS ON BOARD WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR THE TRIP. THAT AMOUNT WAS CALCULATED WITH 8 GALLONS/HR FUEL CONSUMPTION AND PREVIOUS TACH TIME. AFTER MAKING A QUICK AND HASTY FLT PLAN I WENT OUT TO PREFLT THE AIRPLANE. THE PREFLT WAS THOROUGH, THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED A LITTLE MORE THAN 30 GALLONS BUT THE VISUAL CHK INDICATED APPROX LESS THAN 36 (WHEN THE FUEL IS LEVEL WITH THE TAB THERE IS 18 GALLONS LEFT ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT TAB IS AN APPROXIMATION). BOTH TANKS WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW THE TABS. THE LEG TO MIV WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE TOTAL TIME WAS 1.6. BEFORE DEPARTING MIV I MADE A FLT PLAN, THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED A TOTAL OF 20 GALLONS WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR THE 2.1 HR FLT BACK. THE HEADWIND ENCOUNTERED ENRTE WAS STRONGER THAN FORECAST AND MY DIRECT RTE LEFT ME WITH NO OPTIONS. 3/4 INTO THE TRIP I DECIDED TO GO TO ISP, A CLOSER ARPT, TO REFUEL. THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER. I SWITCHED TANKS, TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP AND THE ENG CAME BACK TO LIFE. I CONTACTED NEW YORK APCH ABOUT 15 MI S OF THE ARPT. THEY ASKED ME TO DSND TO 2000 FT. I STARTED A SLOW DSCNT AND ABOUT 10 MI S I HAD THE ENG FAIL. I COMPLETED THE EMER CHKLIST AND LOOKED FOR A LNDG SPOT. I STAYED AWAY FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND PUT HER ON THE BEACH ON FIRE ISLAND. I CHOSE THE HARD PACKED SAND NEAR THE SHORE. THE AIRPLANE STOPPED WITHIN 100 FT WITH ABSOLUTELY NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. BOTH FUEL GAUGES SHOWED APPROX 3 GALLONS WHEN THE ENG QUIT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TANKS AFTER LNDG, SHOWED WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE ONLY UNUSABLE FUEL LEFT. FLYING OVER AN AREA WITH NO ALTERNATE ARPTS OR LNDG SITES WARRANTS MUCH MORE FUEL THAN THE MINIMUMS PRESCRIBED BY THE FARS. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE UNPREDICTABLY IN ERROR AND THERE IS NO SURE METHOD OF MEASURING THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE TANKS WHEN BELOW THE TABS.

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.