Narrative:

Jan/xx/94, approximately XA50 CST, I departed belvedere, il, (C77) in a cessna 182 bound for chicago midway (mdw). I arrived at midway at approximately XB40. I picked up my student and departed mdw at approximately XC15 for a dual cross country to cape girardeau, mo, (cgi). We had stronger headwinds than planned for, resulting in a ground speed of approximately 100 KTS. We arrived at cgi at approximately XC30 on jan/xx/94. We picked up my student's mom and departed back to mdw at approximately XD30. Our ground speed on the return trip was approximately 160 KTS. At approximately XE00, 10 mi south of mdw, the engine began to sputter. I advised mdw tower of our engine trouble and asked for the nearest airport. I was informed that mdw was the closest airport to our position. I advised the tower that we could not make it to the airport and that we were going down. The tower requested me to inform them when we reached the ground. During the communications I located a golf course, stayed within range of it and attempted to restart the engine. The right fuel cell indicated 1/2 of a tank, so I switched to that tank. This made no difference to our situation. I continued with other restart procedures, including: gas to left tank, mixture to full rich, carburetor heat on, magnetos on both, primer in and locked, and finally, fuel back on to both tanks. Unable to restart, I was forced to land on a fairway at the national golf course. The aircraft landed normally and sustained only minor damage to the cowling when we struck a small tree on the landing roll. The passenger and I were all uninjured. Immediately after the landing, I visually checked the fuel tanks and noticed the rubber bladder in the left tank had risen to the top. Thereafter, I notified the FAA of our situation from a nearby pay phone. My flight planing resulted in a fuel burn rate of 12 gph and a total trip time of 5.5 hours. This gave us 1.1 hours of reserve fuel. Just before losing power, I remember looking at the gauges and seeing 1/2 a tank in the right wing, which indicated to me that everything was going well. After the forced landing, I was greatly concerned with the possibility that it was a result of fuel starvation. I indicated to the FAA what I saw on the gauges, as well as what I found when I visually checked the tanks. During the course of the investigation, I learned from one of the mechanics that a potential problem with the left tank had been discovered. Snaps which hold the top and bottom of the rubber bladder in place were not all connected. This leads me to believe that the rubber bladder may have had no way of knowing. This may have resulted in there being less fuel in that tank than what I saw during the preflight inspection. I suspect that the forced landing was due to a problem with the bladder, but I will not know for sure until the investigation is finalized.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER OFF ARPT LNDG MADE IN A NIGHT OP AFTER SMA EXPERIENCES FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: JAN/XX/94, APPROX XA50 CST, I DEPARTED BELVEDERE, IL, (C77) IN A CESSNA 182 BOUND FOR CHICAGO MIDWAY (MDW). I ARRIVED AT MIDWAY AT APPROX XB40. I PICKED UP MY STUDENT AND DEPARTED MDW AT APPROX XC15 FOR A DUAL XCOUNTRY TO CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO, (CGI). WE HAD STRONGER HEADWINDS THAN PLANNED FOR, RESULTING IN A GND SPD OF APPROX 100 KTS. WE ARRIVED AT CGI AT APPROX XC30 ON JAN/XX/94. WE PICKED UP MY STUDENT'S MOM AND DEPARTED BACK TO MDW AT APPROX XD30. OUR GND SPD ON THE RETURN TRIP WAS APPROX 160 KTS. AT APPROX XE00, 10 MI S OF MDW, THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I ADVISED MDW TWR OF OUR ENG TROUBLE AND ASKED FOR THE NEAREST ARPT. I WAS INFORMED THAT MDW WAS THE CLOSEST ARPT TO OUR POS. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE ARPT AND THAT WE WERE GOING DOWN. THE TWR REQUESTED ME TO INFORM THEM WHEN WE REACHED THE GND. DURING THE COMS I LOCATED A GOLF COURSE, STAYED WITHIN RANGE OF IT AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG. THE R FUEL CELL INDICATED 1/2 OF A TANK, SO I SWITCHED TO THAT TANK. THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO OUR SIT. I CONTINUED WITH OTHER RESTART PROCS, INCLUDING: GAS TO L TANK, MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, CARB HEAT ON, MAGNETOS ON BOTH, PRIMER IN AND LOCKED, AND FINALLY, FUEL BACK ON TO BOTH TANKS. UNABLE TO RESTART, I WAS FORCED TO LAND ON A FAIRWAY AT THE NATIONAL GOLF COURSE. THE ACFT LANDED NORMALLY AND SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE COWLING WHEN WE STRUCK A SMALL TREE ON THE LNDG ROLL. THE PAX AND I WERE ALL UNINJURED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LNDG, I VISUALLY CHKED THE FUEL TANKS AND NOTICED THE RUBBER BLADDER IN THE L TANK HAD RISEN TO THE TOP. THEREAFTER, I NOTIFIED THE FAA OF OUR SIT FROM A NEARBY PAY PHONE. MY FLT PLANING RESULTED IN A FUEL BURN RATE OF 12 GPH AND A TOTAL TRIP TIME OF 5.5 HRS. THIS GAVE US 1.1 HRS OF RESERVE FUEL. JUST BEFORE LOSING PWR, I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE GAUGES AND SEEING 1/2 A TANK IN THE R WING, WHICH INDICATED TO ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL. AFTER THE FORCED LNDG, I WAS GREATLY CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS A RESULT OF FUEL STARVATION. I INDICATED TO THE FAA WHAT I SAW ON THE GAUGES, AS WELL AS WHAT I FOUND WHEN I VISUALLY CHKED THE TANKS. DURING THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION, I LEARNED FROM ONE OF THE MECHS THAT A POTENTIAL PROB WITH THE L TANK HAD BEEN DISCOVERED. SNAPS WHICH HOLD THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE RUBBER BLADDER IN PLACE WERE NOT ALL CONNECTED. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE RUBBER BLADDER MAY HAVE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING. THIS MAY HAVE RESULTED IN THERE BEING LESS FUEL IN THAT TANK THAN WHAT I SAW DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION. I SUSPECT THAT THE FORCED LNDG WAS DUE TO A PROB WITH THE BLADDER, BUT I WILL NOT KNOW FOR SURE UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS FINALIZED.

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.