Narrative:

On the return leg of a flight to the washington, dc, area, in an attempt to stay ahead of rptedly worsening WX, I shortened my visit and elected to depart in the evening of the nov/xx. #1 in a chain of contributing factors was my not getting topped off after landing at college park, md. I did not think about getting fuel until about 20 mins later, at which time I was en route (by car) to delaware, about a 2 1/2 hour drive. After several calls to flight service during the next 2 days, regarding the movement of a low pressure area moving towards the area, I elected to depart ahead of the inclement WX (VFR pilot). I then called the airport requesting a fuel top-off and was told that there was no fuel truck on the field, and that the airplane would have to be moved to the fuel farm to be refueled, and that fuel was available 24 hours. After driving 2 1/2 hours to the departure airport (college park), I found that no fuel facility was open at that hour. I then decided to depart immediately and did so approximately XA20 am local time. The forecasted winds were approximately the same (8-10 mph headwind) as I had experienced on the way down, and I still had (according to gauges) 1 1/8 full tanks (18 gallons). Immediately after takeoff, I reduced power down to what I estimated to be the most economical fuel burn, 2000 RPM, leaned. I thought I would be cutting it close to prescribed minimums, but if things looked bad I would call approach to see if they knew of an airport open with fuel, or at worst, an airport without fuel that I could land at and wait till morning for fuel. This leg of the trip to cape cod had a scheduled fuel stop at teterboro. After passing philadelphia, it became questionable as to whether it would be safe to continue on to try for teterboro. I had requested advisories and flight following since departure, so I was in radio contact with ATC. I called and asked if they knew of an airport closer than teterboro that had fuel available at that hour (about XC00 am). They said they did not, and in fact was approaching the end of their airspace,and told me to contact new york. I made the same request of ny. About a min later, I again called ny and asked if, failing the previous request, if they knew of an airport with a nearby gas station that might be open all night, as the airplane I was flying, an small aircraft, was stc'd for autogas. This, they informed me, they had no idea at all about, and asked me how much fuel I had remaining on board. I responded with an estimate based on fuel gauge indicators, which I think was about 40 mins. They told me that newark was available with fuel, and that it was 10 mi short of teterboro. They asked me which I would be landing at. I chose newark. They asked me twice more how much fuel was remaining, the last time about 4 mi from newark. I answered 15-20 mins. After an uneventful landing at newark, I taxied up to the FBO and was topped off with 28 gallons. Usable fuel is 32 gallons, so it turns out that I had 4 gallons remaining, which at normal fuel burn rate (2400 RPM, 7 1/2 gph) was approximately 33 mins. At the reduced power setting of 2000 RPM, my estimate puts the actual fuel remaining at approximately 45 mins, though in my mind I believed I had less. Contributing factors: neglecting to refuel upon landing. Believing the FBO that fuel would be available 24 hours. Winds aloft were slightly greater than had been forecasted. Flying at an unfamiliar and ultra-conservative power setting I was unable to accurately predict and calculate fuel burn rate and fuel remaining, and relied instead of gauge indicators. Flying at unfamiliarly low readings on the fuel gauges, I was unable to accurately read fuel remaining in gallons. Suggestions to other pilots for avoiding similar sits: refuel after landing. Ask ATC about refueling early in the trip, so you can better plan the flight. I'm sure baltimore and philadelphia would have had fuel available. Suggestions to ATC ctrs: while I accept full responsibility for the fuel planning and management en route, I think it would be useful to provide ATC with a list of airports with fuel availableand hours of availability, perhaps with telephone number backup, for immediate verification of such stated availability, and airports within walking distance of all-night gas stations, perhaps including telephone numbers of such stations, and availability of fuel containers) for transporting fuel, in the interest of helping to avoid fuel emergencys, especially if the aircraft is stc'd for autofuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER RUNNING LOW ON FUEL.

Narrative: ON THE RETURN LEG OF A FLT TO THE WASHINGTON, DC, AREA, IN AN ATTEMPT TO STAY AHEAD OF RPTEDLY WORSENING WX, I SHORTENED MY VISIT AND ELECTED TO DEPART IN THE EVENING OF THE NOV/XX. #1 IN A CHAIN OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WAS MY NOT GETTING TOPPED OFF AFTER LNDG AT COLLEGE PARK, MD. I DID NOT THINK ABOUT GETTING FUEL UNTIL ABOUT 20 MINS LATER, AT WHICH TIME I WAS ENRTE (BY CAR) TO DELAWARE, ABOUT A 2 1/2 HR DRIVE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO FLT SVC DURING THE NEXT 2 DAYS, REGARDING THE MOVEMENT OF A LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVING TOWARDS THE AREA, I ELECTED TO DEPART AHEAD OF THE INCLEMENT WX (VFR PLT). I THEN CALLED THE ARPT REQUESTING A FUEL TOP-OFF AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL TRUCK ON THE FIELD, AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE TO BE MOVED TO THE FUEL FARM TO BE REFUELED, AND THAT FUEL WAS AVAILABLE 24 HRS. AFTER DRIVING 2 1/2 HRS TO THE DEP ARPT (COLLEGE PARK), I FOUND THAT NO FUEL FACILITY WAS OPEN AT THAT HR. I THEN DECIDED TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY AND DID SO APPROX XA20 AM LCL TIME. THE FORECASTED WINDS WERE APPROX THE SAME (8-10 MPH HEADWIND) AS I HAD EXPERIENCED ON THE WAY DOWN, AND I STILL HAD (ACCORDING TO GAUGES) 1 1/8 FULL TANKS (18 GALLONS). IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, I REDUCED PWR DOWN TO WHAT I ESTIMATED TO BE THE MOST ECONOMICAL FUEL BURN, 2000 RPM, LEANED. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE CUTTING IT CLOSE TO PRESCRIBED MINIMUMS, BUT IF THINGS LOOKED BAD I WOULD CALL APCH TO SEE IF THEY KNEW OF AN ARPT OPEN WITH FUEL, OR AT WORST, AN ARPT WITHOUT FUEL THAT I COULD LAND AT AND WAIT TILL MORNING FOR FUEL. THIS LEG OF THE TRIP TO CAPE COD HAD A SCHEDULED FUEL STOP AT TETERBORO. AFTER PASSING PHILADELPHIA, IT BECAME QUESTIONABLE AS TO WHETHER IT WOULD BE SAFE TO CONTINUE ON TO TRY FOR TETERBORO. I HAD REQUESTED ADVISORIES AND FLT FOLLOWING SINCE DEP, SO I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC. I CALLED AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW OF AN ARPT CLOSER THAN TETERBORO THAT HAD FUEL AVAILABLE AT THAT HR (ABOUT XC00 AM). THEY SAID THEY DID NOT, AND IN FACT WAS APCHING THE END OF THEIR AIRSPACE,AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT NEW YORK. I MADE THE SAME REQUEST OF NY. ABOUT A MIN LATER, I AGAIN CALLED NY AND ASKED IF, FAILING THE PREVIOUS REQUEST, IF THEY KNEW OF AN ARPT WITH A NEARBY GAS STATION THAT MIGHT BE OPEN ALL NIGHT, AS THE AIRPLANE I WAS FLYING, AN SMA, WAS STC'D FOR AUTOGAS. THIS, THEY INFORMED ME, THEY HAD NO IDEA AT ALL ABOUT, AND ASKED ME HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD REMAINING ON BOARD. I RESPONDED WITH AN ESTIMATE BASED ON FUEL GAUGE INDICATORS, WHICH I THINK WAS ABOUT 40 MINS. THEY TOLD ME THAT NEWARK WAS AVAILABLE WITH FUEL, AND THAT IT WAS 10 MI SHORT OF TETERBORO. THEY ASKED ME WHICH I WOULD BE LNDG AT. I CHOSE NEWARK. THEY ASKED ME TWICE MORE HOW MUCH FUEL WAS REMAINING, THE LAST TIME ABOUT 4 MI FROM NEWARK. I ANSWERED 15-20 MINS. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT NEWARK, I TAXIED UP TO THE FBO AND WAS TOPPED OFF WITH 28 GALLONS. USABLE FUEL IS 32 GALLONS, SO IT TURNS OUT THAT I HAD 4 GALLONS REMAINING, WHICH AT NORMAL FUEL BURN RATE (2400 RPM, 7 1/2 GPH) WAS APPROX 33 MINS. AT THE REDUCED PWR SETTING OF 2000 RPM, MY ESTIMATE PUTS THE ACTUAL FUEL REMAINING AT APPROX 45 MINS, THOUGH IN MY MIND I BELIEVED I HAD LESS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NEGLECTING TO REFUEL UPON LNDG. BELIEVING THE FBO THAT FUEL WOULD BE AVAILABLE 24 HRS. WINDS ALOFT WERE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN HAD BEEN FORECASTED. FLYING AT AN UNFAMILIAR AND ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE PWR SETTING I WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY PREDICT AND CALCULATE FUEL BURN RATE AND FUEL REMAINING, AND RELIED INSTEAD OF GAUGE INDICATORS. FLYING AT UNFAMILIARLY LOW READINGS ON THE FUEL GAUGES, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY READ FUEL REMAINING IN GALLONS. SUGGESTIONS TO OTHER PLTS FOR AVOIDING SIMILAR SITS: REFUEL AFTER LNDG. ASK ATC ABOUT REFUELING EARLY IN THE TRIP, SO YOU CAN BETTER PLAN THE FLT. I'M SURE BALTIMORE AND PHILADELPHIA WOULD HAVE HAD FUEL AVAILABLE. SUGGESTIONS TO ATC CTRS: WHILE I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUEL PLANNING AND MGMNT ENRTE, I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO PROVIDE ATC WITH A LIST OF ARPTS WITH FUEL AVAILABLEAND HRS OF AVAILABILITY, PERHAPS WITH TELEPHONE NUMBER BACKUP, FOR IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION OF SUCH STATED AVAILABILITY, AND ARPTS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF ALL-NIGHT GAS STATIONS, PERHAPS INCLUDING TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF SUCH STATIONS, AND AVAILABILITY OF FUEL CONTAINERS) FOR TRANSPORTING FUEL, IN THE INTEREST OF HELPING TO AVOID FUEL EMERS, ESPECIALLY IF THE ACFT IS STC'D FOR AUTOFUEL.

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.