A private pilot in an small aircraft ran out of fuel and landed off airport.

Attributes
ACN	239311
Time
Date	199304
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbp
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbp artcc : zny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 230 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	239311
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Fuel starvation occurred after a left base entry for runway 29 was approved by ATC. According to my meter after the forced landing in a pasture, total time en route was 3 hours and 48 mins from calexico to san luis obispo. My flight plan called for 4 hours and 40 mins fuel on board, assuming 10 gph fuel consumption. I didn't take into account flight from mexicali to calexico, so I should have subtracted 15 mins, making it 4 hours 25 mins. Perhaps I wasn't leaned to peak, refueling perhaps was not to my instructions, maybe xfeeding during fueling and/or headwinds caused higher fuel consumption. With all possible things going wrong, I still should have had enough fuel to make san luis obispo. This experience will cause all future flight planning and fuel management considerations to be scrutinized by me to a much, much finer degree. P.south. Some fuel was left in the left tank, however, that was probably unusable per airplane operations manual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: FUEL STARVATION OCCURRED AFTER A L BASE ENTRY FOR RWY 29 WAS APPROVED BY ATC. ACCORDING TO MY METER AFTER THE FORCED LNDG IN A PASTURE, TOTAL TIME ENRTE WAS 3 HRS AND 48 MINS FROM CALEXICO TO SAN LUIS OBISPO. MY FLT PLAN CALLED FOR 4 HRS AND 40 MINS FUEL ON BOARD, ASSUMING 10 GPH FUEL CONSUMPTION. I DIDN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT FLT FROM MEXICALI TO CALEXICO, SO I SHOULD HAVE SUBTRACTED 15 MINS, MAKING IT 4 HRS 25 MINS. PERHAPS I WASN'T LEANED TO PEAK, REFUELING PERHAPS WAS NOT TO MY INSTRUCTIONS, MAYBE XFEEDING DURING FUELING AND/OR HEADWINDS CAUSED HIGHER FUEL CONSUMPTION. WITH ALL POSSIBLE THINGS GOING WRONG, I STILL SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE SAN LUIS OBISPO. THIS EXPERIENCE WILL CAUSE ALL FUTURE FLT PLANNING AND FUEL MGMNT CONSIDERATIONS TO BE SCRUTINIZED BY ME TO A MUCH, MUCH FINER DEGREE. P.S. SOME FUEL WAS LEFT IN THE L TANK, HOWEVER, THAT WAS PROBABLY UNUSABLE PER AIRPLANE OPS MANUAL.

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.