Narrative:

Departed hpn (westchester) full of fuel. Went to long lake, me, with 1 stop en route, due to low ceiling at destination. This leg, being early in the morning, arrived at the lake and landed. Waited for passenger to return. During the wait, checked oil which was between the X's on the seaplane dipstick. This is good! Checked the fuel left tank between 20 and 25 gallons, so this would be approximately 23 gallons. Right tank showed 26 gallons. This would give me 48 gallons of gas. My power setting consumes 16 gallons per hour and I figured the return trip would be 2 hours or 32 gallons of gas plus takeoff and climb fuel extra couple of gallons. 48-32=16, of which 4 total is unusable. This leaves me 12 gallons of gas which is 45 mins. Take out 4 gallons for taxi, takeoff and climb, which is excessive and I still have 30 mins reserve. This is the process in which I used for preflight planning. Also, gauges concurred with dip check! I departed the lake, had a nice flight, good WX. Approach control put me on left base for runway 16 and handed me off. I was in process of a descent approximately 2-3 mi out at approximately 2200 ft when I selected gear down. Then the engine quit. Brought gear up, headed toward a lake, tried restart to no avail. Lake too far away to make, runway too far away, so looked for other option. It came in the form of a 3 lane highway. Landed without a scratch on aircraft or its occupants. Secured aircraft and the passenger. The next day, FAA and our mechanics checked over the aircraft and in the end found that after draining the entire fuel system, 4 gallons of gas left. The system holds 88 gallons total with 4 unusable. Problem found after empty. Refilled to the top and it would only take on 82 gallons. This is due to a crushed fuel cell in the right wing, which was previously removed for flap maintenance (bladder type tanks). This led to false fuel level readings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT RUNS OUT OF FUEL. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED HPN (WESTCHESTER) FULL OF FUEL. WENT TO LONG LAKE, ME, WITH 1 STOP ENRTE, DUE TO LOW CEILING AT DEST. THIS LEG, BEING EARLY IN THE MORNING, ARRIVED AT THE LAKE AND LANDED. WAITED FOR PAX TO RETURN. DURING THE WAIT, CHKED OIL WHICH WAS BTWN THE X'S ON THE SEAPLANE DIPSTICK. THIS IS GOOD! CHKED THE FUEL L TANK BTWN 20 AND 25 GALLONS, SO THIS WOULD BE APPROX 23 GALLONS. R TANK SHOWED 26 GALLONS. THIS WOULD GIVE ME 48 GALLONS OF GAS. MY PWR SETTING CONSUMES 16 GALLONS PER HR AND I FIGURED THE RETURN TRIP WOULD BE 2 HRS OR 32 GALLONS OF GAS PLUS TKOF AND CLB FUEL EXTRA COUPLE OF GALLONS. 48-32=16, OF WHICH 4 TOTAL IS UNUSABLE. THIS LEAVES ME 12 GALLONS OF GAS WHICH IS 45 MINS. TAKE OUT 4 GALLONS FOR TAXI, TKOF AND CLB, WHICH IS EXCESSIVE AND I STILL HAVE 30 MINS RESERVE. THIS IS THE PROCESS IN WHICH I USED FOR PREFLT PLANNING. ALSO, GAUGES CONCURRED WITH DIP CHK! I DEPARTED THE LAKE, HAD A NICE FLT, GOOD WX. APCH CTL PUT ME ON L BASE FOR RWY 16 AND HANDED ME OFF. I WAS IN PROCESS OF A DSCNT APPROX 2-3 MI OUT AT APPROX 2200 FT WHEN I SELECTED GEAR DOWN. THEN THE ENG QUIT. BROUGHT GEAR UP, HEADED TOWARD A LAKE, TRIED RESTART TO NO AVAIL. LAKE TOO FAR AWAY TO MAKE, RWY TOO FAR AWAY, SO LOOKED FOR OTHER OPTION. IT CAME IN THE FORM OF A 3 LANE HWY. LANDED WITHOUT A SCRATCH ON ACFT OR ITS OCCUPANTS. SECURED ACFT AND THE PAX. THE NEXT DAY, FAA AND OUR MECHS CHKED OVER THE ACFT AND IN THE END FOUND THAT AFTER DRAINING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYS, 4 GALLONS OF GAS LEFT. THE SYS HOLDS 88 GALLONS TOTAL WITH 4 UNUSABLE. PROB FOUND AFTER EMPTY. REFILLED TO THE TOP AND IT WOULD ONLY TAKE ON 82 GALLONS. THIS IS DUE TO A CRUSHED FUEL CELL IN THE R WING, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY REMOVED FOR FLAP MAINT (BLADDER TYPE TANKS). THIS LED TO FALSE FUEL LEVEL READINGS.

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.