Experimental aircraft has unexpected headwinds, runs out of fuel. Emergency landing.

Attributes
ACN	241380
Time
Date	199305
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grf
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : grf
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 24 flight time total : 501 flight time type : 26
ASRS Report	241380
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While on a pleasure flight I navigated around a MOA picking tacoma narrows airport as my next place to refuel. Flying over olympia I used dead reckoning and figured I could make tacoma narrows. With 15-30 mins flying time left, getting half way, I found my speed across the ground had fallen drastically. At this time I called gray aaf and inquired if fuel was available there to civilians. They said no. They called me back and said if I needed to make a precautionary landing I could. I elected at that time to go straight to gray aaf because fuel seemed to be going very fast. Also, gray was more or less downwind. I stayed at 3500 ft to have as much time as possible to take any actions necessary if fuel should run out. 1 1/2 mi from gray aaf fuel ran dry. 2 large fields in the center of fort lewis, wa, army base were within glide distance. The larger of the 2 had people playing baseball at one end, the other which was smaller, was empty. I did an uneventful landing in the smaller field. Upon exiting the aircraft I inspected the underside of the airplane and found fuel had been leaking out of the fuel drain petcock. No damage was done to any property, any person nor my airplane. A quicker decision when the fuel problem was perceived would have put me on the runway at gray aaf.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIMENTAL ACFT HAS UNEXPECTED HEADWINDS, RUNS OUT OF FUEL. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLT I NAVIGATED AROUND A MOA PICKING TACOMA NARROWS ARPT AS MY NEXT PLACE TO REFUEL. FLYING OVER OLYMPIA I USED DEAD RECKONING AND FIGURED I COULD MAKE TACOMA NARROWS. WITH 15-30 MINS FLYING TIME LEFT, GETTING HALF WAY, I FOUND MY SPD ACROSS THE GND HAD FALLEN DRASTICALLY. AT THIS TIME I CALLED GRAY AAF AND INQUIRED IF FUEL WAS AVAILABLE THERE TO CIVILIANS. THEY SAID NO. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID IF I NEEDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG I COULD. I ELECTED AT THAT TIME TO GO STRAIGHT TO GRAY AAF BECAUSE FUEL SEEMED TO BE GOING VERY FAST. ALSO, GRAY WAS MORE OR LESS DOWNWIND. I STAYED AT 3500 FT TO HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO TAKE ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY IF FUEL SHOULD RUN OUT. 1 1/2 MI FROM GRAY AAF FUEL RAN DRY. 2 LARGE FIELDS IN THE CTR OF FORT LEWIS, WA, ARMY BASE WERE WITHIN GLIDE DISTANCE. THE LARGER OF THE 2 HAD PEOPLE PLAYING BASEBALL AT ONE END, THE OTHER WHICH WAS SMALLER, WAS EMPTY. I DID AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN THE SMALLER FIELD. UPON EXITING THE ACFT I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND FUEL HAD BEEN LEAKING OUT OF THE FUEL DRAIN PETCOCK. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ANY PROPERTY, ANY PERSON NOR MY AIRPLANE. A QUICKER DECISION WHEN THE FUEL PROB WAS PERCEIVED WOULD HAVE PUT ME ON THE RWY AT GRAY AAF.

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.