Fuel exhaustion creates need for emergency off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	263819
Time
Date	199402
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jbr
State Reference	AR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 433 flight time type : 330
ASRS Report	263819
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In sum: reporter and wife left cmi, il, for an IFR flight to new orleans with a fuel stop planned for awm, west memphis, ar. On top at 8000 ft, the winds soon were noted to differ from the forecast winds aloft but reporter pressed on. The flight time was planned at 3:18 with :45 mins of fuel reserves on board. Nearing the first stop, awm, the vector to the airport brought them to the NDB but the localizer signal or indication was lacking. Missed approach made. WX was not the best and some missed approachs were being made at memphis. After another attempt at an approach into awm, they missed again and then ATC had a problem aircraft so reporter offered to depart the area and proceed to alternate airport. The controller gave better WX at a new alternate but fuel did not allow that and flight headed towards arg, walnut ridge, another 'new' alternate. Again, fuel was a concern but off they went. Ground speed dropped alarmingly to 60 KTS so pilot noted another airport, jonesboro and asked for a vector, being only 15 mi from there. An attempt was made to get the jbr ILS in tune from the frequency displayed on reporter's approach plates. Nothing. He then tried the VOR approach and sensed the engine losing power so established best glide speed. There was frequency congestion to reporter stated may day hoping to get priority. Controller gave pilot the ILS frequency of 110.5, reporter did not respond. Pilot was very scared as he knew he had only this 'one shot' at the airport, breaking out of the overcast at 400 ft about 2.5 mi south of the airport. A road was spotted and pilot made emergency landing on the road, just missing a car and ending up slightly off the road with left gear and nose gear in the side ditch. Minor aircraft damage. Highway patrol called NTSB and local FBO. Truck later pulled aircraft out of ditch and it was towed 1 mi to a crop duster's field where it was left 'none the worse for wear.' reporter noted that his current chart did not show the jbr ILS frequency as it had been changed recently. Reporter criticized himself for not departing awm sooner after the first approach but hadn't trusted his instruments or himself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION CREATES NEED FOR EMER OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: IN SUM: RPTR AND WIFE LEFT CMI, IL, FOR AN IFR FLT TO NEW ORLEANS WITH A FUEL STOP PLANNED FOR AWM, WEST MEMPHIS, AR. ON TOP AT 8000 FT, THE WINDS SOON WERE NOTED TO DIFFER FROM THE FORECAST WINDS ALOFT BUT RPTR PRESSED ON. THE FLT TIME WAS PLANNED AT 3:18 WITH :45 MINS OF FUEL RESERVES ON BOARD. NEARING THE FIRST STOP, AWM, THE VECTOR TO THE ARPT BROUGHT THEM TO THE NDB BUT THE LOC SIGNAL OR INDICATION WAS LACKING. MISSED APCH MADE. WX WAS NOT THE BEST AND SOME MISSED APCHS WERE BEING MADE AT MEMPHIS. AFTER ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT AN APCH INTO AWM, THEY MISSED AGAIN AND THEN ATC HAD A PROB ACFT SO RPTR OFFERED TO DEPART THE AREA AND PROCEED TO ALTERNATE ARPT. THE CTLR GAVE BETTER WX AT A NEW ALTERNATE BUT FUEL DID NOT ALLOW THAT AND FLT HEADED TOWARDS ARG, WALNUT RIDGE, ANOTHER 'NEW' ALTERNATE. AGAIN, FUEL WAS A CONCERN BUT OFF THEY WENT. GND SPD DROPPED ALARMINGLY TO 60 KTS SO PLT NOTED ANOTHER ARPT, JONESBORO AND ASKED FOR A VECTOR, BEING ONLY 15 MI FROM THERE. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO GET THE JBR ILS IN TUNE FROM THE FREQ DISPLAYED ON RPTR'S APCH PLATES. NOTHING. HE THEN TRIED THE VOR APCH AND SENSED THE ENG LOSING PWR SO ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPD. THERE WAS FREQ CONGESTION TO RPTR STATED MAY DAY HOPING TO GET PRIORITY. CTLR GAVE PLT THE ILS FREQ OF 110.5, RPTR DID NOT RESPOND. PLT WAS VERY SCARED AS HE KNEW HE HAD ONLY THIS 'ONE SHOT' AT THE ARPT, BREAKING OUT OF THE OVCST AT 400 FT ABOUT 2.5 MI S OF THE ARPT. A ROAD WAS SPOTTED AND PLT MADE EMER LNDG ON THE ROAD, JUST MISSING A CAR AND ENDING UP SLIGHTLY OFF THE ROAD WITH L GEAR AND NOSE GEAR IN THE SIDE DITCH. MINOR ACFT DAMAGE. HWY PATROL CALLED NTSB AND LCL FBO. TRUCK LATER PULLED ACFT OUT OF DITCH AND IT WAS TOWED 1 MI TO A CROP DUSTER'S FIELD WHERE IT WAS LEFT 'NONE THE WORSE FOR WEAR.' RPTR NOTED THAT HIS CURRENT CHART DID NOT SHOW THE JBR ILS FREQ AS IT HAD BEEN CHANGED RECENTLY. RPTR CRITICIZED HIMSELF FOR NOT DEPARTING AWM SOONER AFTER THE FIRST APCH BUT HADN'T TRUSTED HIS INSTS OR HIMSELF.

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.