Banner tow aircraft has fuel starvation. Emergency landing.

Attributes
ACN	249845
Time
Date	199308
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gyy
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gyy
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	249845
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After taking command of the aircraft I noticed a low fuel situation. I asked for and obtained permission from gary tower to speak with company ground. Advised them of the situation and was told by the owner/operator of airlines to proceed with the flight with the fuel on board. Once airborne I was advised by the owner/operator of airlines that I had 2 hours tachometer time of fuel on board. (Tower recordings should verify this.) with this information I proceeded with the banner tow watching both tachometer and clock time. I left the banner tow area so as to allow for 30 mins reserve fuel after returning to our base of operation at the gary regional airport (gyy). At approximately XA55 hours and about 8 SM from my destination the engine began to cut out from fuel starvation. I contacted the gary tower and advised them I had a problem, asked to standby. I declared an emergency. Reversed my direction of flight to find an area to release the banner I had in tow and to find an area to make an emergency landing. During the 4-5 mins of air time I had left because of the engine restarting at times, I saw several possible landing sights but I was unable to reach any of them because I could not keep the engine running long enough. An area I had looked at during the banner drop was the only one within my gliding distance but because it was a public park I chose to look for another sight. I was committed to a water landing when I noticed that the park parking lot was indeed suitable without any persons to be seen in the landing area. (If people were in the area I would have ditched.) at approximately XB01 hours I performed a safe and uneventful landing. After inspection of the aircraft by ia, the aircraft was refueled and later flown out. I accepted the judgement of the owner/operator because of his knowledge of the aircraft and of its prior use. I should have insisted to be refueled even though the owner/operator felt I had enough fuel to complete the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BANNER TOW ACFT HAS FUEL STARVATION. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER TAKING COMMAND OF THE ACFT I NOTICED A LOW FUEL SIT. I ASKED FOR AND OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM GARY TWR TO SPEAK WITH COMPANY GND. ADVISED THEM OF THE SIT AND WAS TOLD BY THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF AIRLINES TO PROCEED WITH THE FLT WITH THE FUEL ON BOARD. ONCE AIRBORNE I WAS ADVISED BY THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF AIRLINES THAT I HAD 2 HRS TACHOMETER TIME OF FUEL ON BOARD. (TWR RECORDINGS SHOULD VERIFY THIS.) WITH THIS INFO I PROCEEDED WITH THE BANNER TOW WATCHING BOTH TACHOMETER AND CLOCK TIME. I LEFT THE BANNER TOW AREA SO AS TO ALLOW FOR 30 MINS RESERVE FUEL AFTER RETURNING TO OUR BASE OF OP AT THE GARY REGIONAL ARPT (GYY). AT APPROX XA55 HRS AND ABOUT 8 SM FROM MY DEST THE ENG BEGAN TO CUT OUT FROM FUEL STARVATION. I CONTACTED THE GARY TWR AND ADVISED THEM I HAD A PROB, ASKED TO STANDBY. I DECLARED AN EMER. REVERSED MY DIRECTION OF FLT TO FIND AN AREA TO RELEASE THE BANNER I HAD IN TOW AND TO FIND AN AREA TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG. DURING THE 4-5 MINS OF AIR TIME I HAD LEFT BECAUSE OF THE ENG RESTARTING AT TIMES, I SAW SEVERAL POSSIBLE LNDG SIGHTS BUT I WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANY OF THEM BECAUSE I COULD NOT KEEP THE ENG RUNNING LONG ENOUGH. AN AREA I HAD LOOKED AT DURING THE BANNER DROP WAS THE ONLY ONE WITHIN MY GLIDING DISTANCE BUT BECAUSE IT WAS A PUBLIC PARK I CHOSE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER SIGHT. I WAS COMMITTED TO A WATER LNDG WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE PARK PARKING LOT WAS INDEED SUITABLE WITHOUT ANY PERSONS TO BE SEEN IN THE LNDG AREA. (IF PEOPLE WERE IN THE AREA I WOULD HAVE DITCHED.) AT APPROX XB01 HRS I PERFORMED A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ACFT BY IA, THE ACFT WAS REFUELED AND LATER FLOWN OUT. I ACCEPTED THE JUDGEMENT OF THE OWNER/OPERATOR BECAUSE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACFT AND OF ITS PRIOR USE. I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED TO BE REFUELED EVEN THOUGH THE OWNER/OPERATOR FELT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT.

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.