Fuel exhaustion in an small aircraft mandates an off airport, emergency forced landing.

Attributes
ACN	244074
Time
Date	199306
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rbl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
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	cruise other ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	244074
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The airplane was supposed to be refueled after an instructional flight on jun/xx/93. It now appears the left wing was significantly lower than the right wing, due to the slope of the terrain. The right tank appeared to be visually full when checked. The slope of the aircraft and the high ambient temperature (plus 100 degrees) caused the fuel to drain out of the aircraft. The gauges read full. After 3 hours of flying, the engine started to fail. I elected to land on highway 5, where no damage was inflicted to the aircraft or to any person or other property. The performance charts for the aircraft indicate that I should have been able to fly in excess of 4 hours. All instructors and students have been cautioned to make sure aircraft is level during preflight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION IN AN SMA MANDATES AN OFF ARPT, EMER FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REFUELED AFTER AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT ON JUN/XX/93. IT NOW APPEARS THE L WING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE R WING, DUE TO THE SLOPE OF THE TERRAIN. THE R TANK APPEARED TO BE VISUALLY FULL WHEN CHKED. THE SLOPE OF THE ACFT AND THE HIGH AMBIENT TEMP (PLUS 100 DEGS) CAUSED THE FUEL TO DRAIN OUT OF THE ACFT. THE GAUGES READ FULL. AFTER 3 HRS OF FLYING, THE ENG STARTED TO FAIL. I ELECTED TO LAND ON HWY 5, WHERE NO DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED TO THE ACFT OR TO ANY PERSON OR OTHER PROPERTY. THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR THE ACFT INDICATE THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY IN EXCESS OF 4 HRS. ALL INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUTIONED TO MAKE SURE ACFT IS LEVEL DURING PREFLT.

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.