Narrative:

I arrived in decatur, il about XA30 pm on nov/mon/93. I asked the FBO to top the aircraft off with 100 low lead fuel, and add 2 quarts of oil to the engine. Approximately an hour later, I arrived back to the FBO. I inquired about the fueling and the addition of the oil, and was assured that these things had been done. I then did the preflight of the aircraft. During this preflight procedure, I did not detect anything wrong with the fuel caps. At approximately XC00 pm, I departed dec with my destination of mankato, mn. After leveling off at 5000 ft, I detected that the right fuel gauge was only indicating a fourth of a tank of fuel, the left fuel gauge was indicating a full tank. At this time, I became concerned by the right fuel gauge reading and felt the breakers to be sure that none of the fuses had become disengaged. I also rocked the wings to determine the possibility of a float being stuck on the bottom of the fuel tank. The fuel gauges remained at the same levels. I was also aware of the fact that small aircraft fuel gauges have been noted to be inaccurate. I have flown this aircraft over 500 hours, and have seen inaccuracies many times in the fuel gauge readings. After checking the fuses and rocking the wings, I decided to change from using fuel from both tanks to using the fuel from the left tank for approximately 30 mins. At this time, I again switched tanks and used fuel from the right tank. My reasoning for this procedure was that I was not totally sure that there was not the possibility of a problem with the left tank, and that by switching I could assure myself that there was adequate fuel for a safe landing at an airport. At this point, the engine stopped. I switched to the right fuel tank, and restarted the engine. I then contacted waterloo approach, informed them that I had the possibility of a fuel- related problem, and was cleared for a straight-in landing. After approximately 2 mins, the engine again stopped. I again contacted waterloo approach, and informed them of the dead engine, and that I was going to attempt to land at the independence airport. Waterloo approach assured me that they would have emergency vehicles en route. I was unable to reach the independence runway, and put the aircraft down in a field. There were no injuries and no structural damage to the aircraft. After the landing, an inspection of the aircraft revealed a fuel cap dangling by its chain on the wing, the wing being covered with fuel.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED OFF ARPT AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I ARRIVED IN DECATUR, IL ABOUT XA30 PM ON NOV/MON/93. I ASKED THE FBO TO TOP THE ACFT OFF WITH 100 LOW LEAD FUEL, AND ADD 2 QUARTS OF OIL TO THE ENG. APPROX AN HR LATER, I ARRIVED BACK TO THE FBO. I INQUIRED ABOUT THE FUELING AND THE ADDITION OF THE OIL, AND WAS ASSURED THAT THESE THINGS HAD BEEN DONE. I THEN DID THE PREFLT OF THE ACFT. DURING THIS PREFLT PROC, I DID NOT DETECT ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE FUEL CAPS. AT APPROX XC00 PM, I DEPARTED DEC WITH MY DEST OF MANKATO, MN. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 5000 FT, I DETECTED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS ONLY INDICATING A FOURTH OF A TANK OF FUEL, THE L FUEL GAUGE WAS INDICATING A FULL TANK. AT THIS TIME, I BECAME CONCERNED BY THE R FUEL GAUGE READING AND FELT THE BREAKERS TO BE SURE THAT NONE OF THE FUSES HAD BECOME DISENGAGED. I ALSO ROCKED THE WINGS TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF A FLOAT BEING STUCK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL GAUGES REMAINED AT THE SAME LEVELS. I WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE FACT THAT SMA FUEL GAUGES HAVE BEEN NOTED TO BE INACCURATE. I HAVE FLOWN THIS ACFT OVER 500 HRS, AND HAVE SEEN INACCURACIES MANY TIMES IN THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS. AFTER CHKING THE FUSES AND ROCKING THE WINGS, I DECIDED TO CHANGE FROM USING FUEL FROM BOTH TANKS TO USING THE FUEL FROM THE L TANK FOR APPROX 30 MINS. AT THIS TIME, I AGAIN SWITCHED TANKS AND USED FUEL FROM THE R TANK. MY REASONING FOR THIS PROC WAS THAT I WAS NOT TOTALLY SURE THAT THERE WAS NOT THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROB WITH THE L TANK, AND THAT BY SWITCHING I COULD ASSURE MYSELF THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE FUEL FOR A SAFE LNDG AT AN ARPT. AT THIS POINT, THE ENG STOPPED. I SWITCHED TO THE R FUEL TANK, AND RESTARTED THE ENG. I THEN CONTACTED WATERLOO APCH, INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUEL- RELATED PROB, AND WAS CLRED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS, THE ENG AGAIN STOPPED. I AGAIN CONTACTED WATERLOO APCH, AND INFORMED THEM OF THE DEAD ENG, AND THAT I WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO LAND AT THE INDEPENDENCE ARPT. WATERLOO APCH ASSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE EMER VEHICLES ENRTE. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE INDEPENDENCE RWY, AND PUT THE ACFT DOWN IN A FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. AFTER THE LNDG, AN INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED A FUEL CAP DANGLING BY ITS CHAIN ON THE WING, THE WING BEING COVERED WITH FUEL.

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.