Narrative:

Flight from grm, mn, to fcm in eden prairie, mn. Pilot relied on incorrect fuel gauges, which resulted in fuel exhaustion during flight. A non off-airport emergency landing on a freeway under construction resulted in a safe landing. The aircraft was fueled and after approval by FAA representative, the plane took off from the construction site and was flown to fcm airport. The aircraft was left at grm airport for a pre-purchase inspection and trial flight. When the aircraft was left there it had been left with full tanks. When the aircraft was picked up the individual who had flown the plane could not be reached to see how long he had flown the plane. No one was at the airport to sell any gas, so the plane could not be topped off. At the time of departure from grm, the fuel gauges read 3/4 tanks which, if the gauges were correct, would amount to 16.5 gallons of fuel of which 12.5 gallons would be needed for a flight of 2.5 hours to fcm airport. However, 2 mi north of fcm airport, the gauges showed 1/4 tank and 1/8 tank of fuel, at which time the aircraft engine quit from lack of fuel. After a safe landing on a highway under construction, the tanks were drained and the results were that 1 gallon of gas was in the left tank and the right tank was empty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PVT PLT EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION ON PACH TO FCM ARPT, PERFORMS AN OFF ARPT EMER FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: FLT FROM GRM, MN, TO FCM IN EDEN PRAIRIE, MN. PLT RELIED ON INCORRECT FUEL GAUGES, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DURING FLT. A NON OFF-ARPT EMER LNDG ON A FREEWAY UNDER CONSTRUCTION RESULTED IN A SAFE LNDG. THE ACFT WAS FUELED AND AFTER APPROVAL BY FAA REPRESENTATIVE, THE PLANE TOOK OFF FROM THE CONSTRUCTION SITE AND WAS FLOWN TO FCM ARPT. THE ACFT WAS LEFT AT GRM ARPT FOR A PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION AND TRIAL FLT. WHEN THE ACFT WAS LEFT THERE IT HAD BEEN LEFT WITH FULL TANKS. WHEN THE ACFT WAS PICKED UP THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD FLOWN THE PLANE COULD NOT BE REACHED TO SEE HOW LONG HE HAD FLOWN THE PLANE. NO ONE WAS AT THE ARPT TO SELL ANY GAS, SO THE PLANE COULD NOT BE TOPPED OFF. AT THE TIME OF DEP FROM GRM, THE FUEL GAUGES READ 3/4 TANKS WHICH, IF THE GAUGES WERE CORRECT, WOULD AMOUNT TO 16.5 GALLONS OF FUEL OF WHICH 12.5 GALLONS WOULD BE NEEDED FOR A FLT OF 2.5 HRS TO FCM ARPT. HOWEVER, 2 MI N OF FCM ARPT, THE GAUGES SHOWED 1/4 TANK AND 1/8 TANK OF FUEL, AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT ENG QUIT FROM LACK OF FUEL. AFTER A SAFE LNDG ON A HWY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THE TANKS WERE DRAINED AND THE RESULTS WERE THAT 1 GALLON OF GAS WAS IN THE L TANK AND THE R TANK WAS EMPTY.

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.