Fuel starvation creates an emergency off airport landing attempt in an small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	246340
Time
Date	199307
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fnl
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	246340
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While climbing out I was turning out of the pattern at approximately 400 ft AGL. During the turn I experienced a sudden loss of IAS at the same time a company aircraft was reporting a severe downdraft. While pitching the aircraft down, the engine backfired loudly and then quit. I immediately switched fuel tanks and turned on the fuel boost pump. I came down fast trying to regain airspeed and touched down in a farmer's field. As the aircraft bounced, the engine restarted and I was able to fly back to the airport. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. The left tank had only a small amount of fuel and the right tank had approximately 30 gallons. Normal procedure when flying jumpers at our drop zone is to fill approximately 25 gallons per side allowing 1 trip to altitude per side plus reserve. This day, I fueled for 2 loads in the left side and 1 in the right. This would have been the second flight from the left side. Several factors contributed to the occurrence, I believe. Higher than normal density altitude, indications of a fuel leak on the left side of the fuselage, possible richer than normal mixture setting on the previous load, and not taking time to visually check fuel before taking off.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL STARVATION CREATES AN EMER OFF ARPT LNDG ATTEMPT IN AN SMA.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT I WAS TURNING OUT OF THE PATTERN AT APPROX 400 FT AGL. DURING THE TURN I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF IAS AT THE SAME TIME A COMPANY ACFT WAS RPTING A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. WHILE PITCHING THE ACFT DOWN, THE ENG BACKFIRED LOUDLY AND THEN QUIT. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP. I CAME DOWN FAST TRYING TO REGAIN AIRSPD AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A FARMER'S FIELD. AS THE ACFT BOUNCED, THE ENG RESTARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO FLY BACK TO THE ARPT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE L TANK HAD ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL AND THE R TANK HAD APPROX 30 GALLONS. NORMAL PROC WHEN FLYING JUMPERS AT OUR DROP ZONE IS TO FILL APPROX 25 GALLONS PER SIDE ALLOWING 1 TRIP TO ALT PER SIDE PLUS RESERVE. THIS DAY, I FUELED FOR 2 LOADS IN THE L SIDE AND 1 IN THE R. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SECOND FLT FROM THE L SIDE. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OCCURRENCE, I BELIEVE. HIGHER THAN NORMAL DENSITY ALT, INDICATIONS OF A FUEL LEAK ON THE L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, POSSIBLE RICHER THAN NORMAL MIXTURE SETTING ON THE PREVIOUS LOAD, AND NOT TAKING TIME TO VISUALLY CHK FUEL BEFORE TAKING OFF.

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.