Narrative:

I prepared for a VFR photo flight to jamestown, ny, with aerial photographer. I obtained my first WX briefing from buffalo FSS. WX at jamestown was IFR so I delayed departure until I could receive the latest hourly WX observations. I obtained an updated WX briefing which showed jamestown to be 2000 ft broken and forecast to improve. At this point, I considered filing IFR to jamestown, then obtaining a descent to visual conditions. At this point, I believed that we would be using our small aircraft Y. Upon viewing the schedule, I saw this was not so. Realizing that the aircraft we were scheduled to use, an small aircraft X, was no longer inspected for IFR, I determined that under the given conditions, it was safe to proceed under VFR to our destination. I then proceeded to preflight for the flight. All system appeared to be in working order. Both fuel gauges read full, and upon visual inspection of the aircraft fuel tanks, I found the right fuel tank to be filled to overflowing. The left fuel tank was down approximately 3/4 inch from the top. At this point, I estimated the total fuel in the aircraft to be 23 or 23.5 gallons. This was later found to be in error. After taxi and run-up, we departed syr. The proposed route was to fly to jamestown via the geneseo VOR, to avoid higher terrain to the south. 20 mins out from syr, near geneva, ny, the WX improved to 3500 ft scattered to broken. I called the buffalo FSS with the aircraft radio on 122.6. This radio call gave me more information about the improving WX at jamestown, and I filed a PIREP about the cloud bases. We arrived at the photo area at our ETA. I navigated the aircraft to the southwest edge of the lake at jamestown, approximately 5 mi southwest of the airport. The photos took approximately 15 mins, and we were ready to depart. Based on the winds aloft forecast and my own estimates of the wind, I determined that we had enough fuel at this point to reach syr with a VFR fuel reserve of approximately 40 mins. With no expected delays, I determined that we would be well within the limits of the aircraft's fuel endurance. Near jamestown, I called buffalo FSS on 122.1. Their winds aloft forecast indicated that I would have a 25 KT tailwind at my return cruising altitude of 3500 ft. On 2 separate gndspd checks, I determined my gndspd to be 135 KTS, then 130 KTS. Our ETA was still within the envelope I had determined to be safe. As we approached near 40 mi from syr, gndspd seemed to be slowing and I called unicom to inform them that I expected to be on the ramp at XA10. A few mins later, near marcellus, ny, I experienced a sudden loss of power and engine roughness. I suspected carburetor ice and applied carburetor heat and enriched the fuel mixture. When this had no apparent effect, I proceeded to a landing area. While spiraling over the area with partial power, the engine came back to full power. I had previously informed syr approach of my situation. I then told them I had full power. They gave me a reference to find marcellus airport, and I proceeded there for a landing under full power and control of the aircraft. Upon landing, I taxied away from the runway to the airport building. I called my FBO and our chief flight instructor came to assist. Upon arrival, he questioned me and inspected the aircraft. Together, we determined that the most likely cause of the power loss was interruption of the fuel flow to the engine, caused by operation near the airplane's unusable fuel limit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON PHOTO MISSION HAS LOSS OF PWR DUE TO LOW FUEL. DIVERT LAND.

Narrative: I PREPARED FOR A VFR PHOTO FLT TO JAMESTOWN, NY, WITH AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHER. I OBTAINED MY FIRST WX BRIEFING FROM BUFFALO FSS. WX AT JAMESTOWN WAS IFR SO I DELAYED DEP UNTIL I COULD RECEIVE THE LATEST HRLY WX OBSERVATIONS. I OBTAINED AN UPDATED WX BRIEFING WHICH SHOWED JAMESTOWN TO BE 2000 FT BROKEN AND FORECAST TO IMPROVE. AT THIS POINT, I CONSIDERED FILING IFR TO JAMESTOWN, THEN OBTAINING A DSCNT TO VISUAL CONDITIONS. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVED THAT WE WOULD BE USING OUR SMA Y. UPON VIEWING THE SCHEDULE, I SAW THIS WAS NOT SO. REALIZING THAT THE ACFT WE WERE SCHEDULED TO USE, AN SMA X, WAS NO LONGER INSPECTED FOR IFR, I DETERMINED THAT UNDER THE GIVEN CONDITIONS, IT WAS SAFE TO PROCEED UNDER VFR TO OUR DEST. I THEN PROCEEDED TO PREFLT FOR THE FLT. ALL SYS APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. BOTH FUEL GAUGES READ FULL, AND UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ACFT FUEL TANKS, I FOUND THE R FUEL TANK TO BE FILLED TO OVERFLOWING. THE L FUEL TANK WAS DOWN APPROX 3/4 INCH FROM THE TOP. AT THIS POINT, I ESTIMATED THE TOTAL FUEL IN THE ACFT TO BE 23 OR 23.5 GALLONS. THIS WAS LATER FOUND TO BE IN ERROR. AFTER TAXI AND RUN-UP, WE DEPARTED SYR. THE PROPOSED RTE WAS TO FLY TO JAMESTOWN VIA THE GENESEO VOR, TO AVOID HIGHER TERRAIN TO THE S. 20 MINS OUT FROM SYR, NEAR GENEVA, NY, THE WX IMPROVED TO 3500 FT SCATTERED TO BROKEN. I CALLED THE BUFFALO FSS WITH THE ACFT RADIO ON 122.6. THIS RADIO CALL GAVE ME MORE INFO ABOUT THE IMPROVING WX AT JAMESTOWN, AND I FILED A PIREP ABOUT THE CLOUD BASES. WE ARRIVED AT THE PHOTO AREA AT OUR ETA. I NAVIGATED THE ACFT TO THE SW EDGE OF THE LAKE AT JAMESTOWN, APPROX 5 MI SW OF THE ARPT. THE PHOTOS TOOK APPROX 15 MINS, AND WE WERE READY TO DEPART. BASED ON THE WINDS ALOFT FORECAST AND MY OWN ESTIMATES OF THE WIND, I DETERMINED THAT WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL AT THIS POINT TO REACH SYR WITH A VFR FUEL RESERVE OF APPROX 40 MINS. WITH NO EXPECTED DELAYS, I DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD BE WELL WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE ACFT'S FUEL ENDURANCE. NEAR JAMESTOWN, I CALLED BUFFALO FSS ON 122.1. THEIR WINDS ALOFT FORECAST INDICATED THAT I WOULD HAVE A 25 KT TAILWIND AT MY RETURN CRUISING ALT OF 3500 FT. ON 2 SEPARATE GNDSPD CHKS, I DETERMINED MY GNDSPD TO BE 135 KTS, THEN 130 KTS. OUR ETA WAS STILL WITHIN THE ENVELOPE I HAD DETERMINED TO BE SAFE. AS WE APCHED NEAR 40 MI FROM SYR, GNDSPD SEEMED TO BE SLOWING AND I CALLED UNICOM TO INFORM THEM THAT I EXPECTED TO BE ON THE RAMP AT XA10. A FEW MINS LATER, NEAR MARCELLUS, NY, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF PWR AND ENG ROUGHNESS. I SUSPECTED CARB ICE AND APPLIED CARB HEAT AND ENRICHED THE FUEL MIXTURE. WHEN THIS HAD NO APPARENT EFFECT, I PROCEEDED TO A LNDG AREA. WHILE SPIRALING OVER THE AREA WITH PARTIAL PWR, THE ENG CAME BACK TO FULL PWR. I HAD PREVIOUSLY INFORMED SYR APCH OF MY SIT. I THEN TOLD THEM I HAD FULL PWR. THEY GAVE ME A REF TO FIND MARCELLUS ARPT, AND I PROCEEDED THERE FOR A LNDG UNDER FULL PWR AND CTL OF THE ACFT. UPON LNDG, I TAXIED AWAY FROM THE RWY TO THE ARPT BUILDING. I CALLED MY FBO AND OUR CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR CAME TO ASSIST. UPON ARR, HE QUESTIONED ME AND INSPECTED THE ACFT. TOGETHER, WE DETERMINED THAT THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE PWR LOSS WAS INTERRUPTION OF THE FUEL FLOW TO THE ENG, CAUSED BY OP NEAR THE AIRPLANE'S UNUSABLE FUEL LIMIT.

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.