Narrative:

The following is a record of the events on mar/xx/94 regarding my cross country flight from lubbock, tx (F82) to salina, ks (sln). I was assisted by one of the flight instructors, in acquiring a WX briefing including a printout of the winds aloft and calculated ground speeds and magnetic headings for the route which I had chosen. I returned to the plane and loaded the luggage on board. The instructor who had helped me volunteered to fill the plane with gas while I filed a flight plan, including flight duration of 4 hours 10 mins and 5 hours fuel on board. The plane was taxied to the pump (about 1/4 mi) and back while I filed my flight plan. I loaded myself, my wife and my son into the plane and started the engine, using the checklist provided in the cockpit. All gauges looked good so I turned on the radios and taxied to the end of the active runway (35) to perform a run-up). I turned on the transponder and made my departure radio call and took off. Upon reaching 9500 ft I leaned the engine using the following procedure: lean mixture slowly until RPM no longer increases or starts to decrease (maintaining level flight). Slowly push mixture forward until RPM begins to drop from highest indicated. Set throttle for cruise power (2450- 2500). At 1950 ft I switched back to the left tank. I noted that I was a couple mi southwest of hutchinson and had 10 gallons of fuel in the left tank remaining which according to the manual was good for 1 hour. I estimated that I needed about 40 mins to reach my destination so I was not concerned at this point about having enough fuel, especially since I had only run the right tank for 2 hours. I called wichita radio to cancel my flight plan with salina in sight and notified them that I was switching to the salina tower frequency. I was descending at about 200 FPM and noticed that the fuel gauge had dropped significantly since over hutchinson. I contacted the tower reporting my position and intentions and I think I remember mentioning that I was low north fuel. Upon reaching lindsborg, about 15 mi south, I pushed the mixture full rich and increased my descent rate, pitching down slightly and reducing throttle to maintain 2400 RPM. Within a min the engine quit. The fuel pressure gauge indicated no pressure. Both fuel gauges appeared near empty. I tried adjusting both the throttle and the mixture since those were the last adjustments I had made. No response. I returned the throttle to near full and the mixture to full rich and switched tanks. I turned the fuel pump on and the fuel pressure returned and the engine started and ran smoothly. The tower radioed for a position report. I reported that I was just north of lindsborg and I was having a fuel problem. The engine quit again. I switched back to the left tank, started the engine again. The tower called back advising of no landing strips north the area, except that there was a grass strip somewhere behind me in lindsborg. I advised that I would continue to try to make the airport. I began to survey the terrain below and the engine quit again. I radioed the tower that I probably would not be landing at the airport. I never again started the engine. I had selected a road that would be clear of traffic by the time I reached it. I notified the tower that I had selected a road south of the airport to land. I think I told them that everything looked good but I'm not sure that they heard me. As I landed the left wing struck a reflective roadside marker. With all wheels down I attempted to contact the tower that we were ok. I coasted to the side of the road to allow the traffic which would be approaching to pass by and continued to try to contact the tower. I heard another aircraft report my position and turned off the radios and master switch. I estimated that I was in the air for 3 hours and 50 mins. My hobbs meter showed an elapsed time of 4.4 hours. I believe the difference to be a total of the following: taxi time to and from the fuel pump, start-up, taxi and run-up time before takeoff, time attempting to contact the tower after landing. I am most puzzled by the short time run from the right tank. This tank should have easily run for 2 hours and 30 mins as it was only run after reaching altitude and leaning the mixture. After much discussion with the owner of the aircraft I have come to one possible cause of the early exhaustion of fuel. The aircraft was fueled with 90 pounds of baggage in the baggage compartment and the front strut was extended more than usual with no persons aboard. In this nose high attitude it is likely that the tanks could not be filled completely. Possible avoidance: reposition aircraft level and check fuel. When gauges indicate 1 hour reserve, land as soon as possible and refuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER OFF ARPT LNDG PERFORMED BY PVT PLT AFTER EXPERIENCING FUEL EXHAUSTION IN A PA-28.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A RECORD OF THE EVENTS ON MAR/XX/94 REGARDING MY XCOUNTRY FLT FROM LUBBOCK, TX (F82) TO SALINA, KS (SLN). I WAS ASSISTED BY ONE OF THE FLT INSTRUCTORS, IN ACQUIRING A WX BRIEFING INCLUDING A PRINTOUT OF THE WINDS ALOFT AND CALCULATED GND SPDS AND MAGNETIC HDGS FOR THE RTE WHICH I HAD CHOSEN. I RETURNED TO THE PLANE AND LOADED THE LUGGAGE ON BOARD. THE INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD HELPED ME VOLUNTEERED TO FILL THE PLANE WITH GAS WHILE I FILED A FLT PLAN, INCLUDING FLT DURATION OF 4 HRS 10 MINS AND 5 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. THE PLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE PUMP (ABOUT 1/4 MI) AND BACK WHILE I FILED MY FLT PLAN. I LOADED MYSELF, MY WIFE AND MY SON INTO THE PLANE AND STARTED THE ENG, USING THE CHKLIST PROVIDED IN THE COCKPIT. ALL GAUGES LOOKED GOOD SO I TURNED ON THE RADIOS AND TAXIED TO THE END OF THE ACTIVE RWY (35) TO PERFORM A RUN-UP). I TURNED ON THE XPONDER AND MADE MY DEP RADIO CALL AND TOOK OFF. UPON REACHING 9500 FT I LEANED THE ENG USING THE FOLLOWING PROC: LEAN MIXTURE SLOWLY UNTIL RPM NO LONGER INCREASES OR STARTS TO DECREASE (MAINTAINING LEVEL FLT). SLOWLY PUSH MIXTURE FORWARD UNTIL RPM BEGINS TO DROP FROM HIGHEST INDICATED. SET THROTTLE FOR CRUISE PWR (2450- 2500). AT 1950 FT I SWITCHED BACK TO THE L TANK. I NOTED THAT I WAS A COUPLE MI SW OF HUTCHINSON AND HAD 10 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE L TANK REMAINING WHICH ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL WAS GOOD FOR 1 HR. I ESTIMATED THAT I NEEDED ABOUT 40 MINS TO REACH MY DEST SO I WAS NOT CONCERNED AT THIS POINT ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH FUEL, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD ONLY RUN THE R TANK FOR 2 HRS. I CALLED WICHITA RADIO TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN WITH SALINA IN SIGHT AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT I WAS SWITCHING TO THE SALINA TWR FREQ. I WAS DSNDING AT ABOUT 200 FPM AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE HAD DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE OVER HUTCHINSON. I CONTACTED THE TWR RPTING MY POS AND INTENTIONS AND I THINK I REMEMBER MENTIONING THAT I WAS LOW N FUEL. UPON REACHING LINDSBORG, ABOUT 15 MI S, I PUSHED THE MIXTURE FULL RICH AND INCREASED MY DSCNT RATE, PITCHING DOWN SLIGHTLY AND REDUCING THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN 2400 RPM. WITHIN A MIN THE ENG QUIT. THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATED NO PRESSURE. BOTH FUEL GAUGES APPEARED NEAR EMPTY. I TRIED ADJUSTING BOTH THE THROTTLE AND THE MIXTURE SINCE THOSE WERE THE LAST ADJUSTMENTS I HAD MADE. NO RESPONSE. I RETURNED THE THROTTLE TO NEAR FULL AND THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH AND SWITCHED TANKS. I TURNED THE FUEL PUMP ON AND THE FUEL PRESSURE RETURNED AND THE ENG STARTED AND RAN SMOOTHLY. THE TWR RADIOED FOR A POS RPT. I RPTED THAT I WAS JUST N OF LINDSBORG AND I WAS HAVING A FUEL PROB. THE ENG QUIT AGAIN. I SWITCHED BACK TO THE L TANK, STARTED THE ENG AGAIN. THE TWR CALLED BACK ADVISING OF NO LNDG STRIPS N THE AREA, EXCEPT THAT THERE WAS A GRASS STRIP SOMEWHERE BEHIND ME IN LINDSBORG. I ADVISED THAT I WOULD CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE THE ARPT. I BEGAN TO SURVEY THE TERRAIN BELOW AND THE ENG QUIT AGAIN. I RADIOED THE TWR THAT I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE LNDG AT THE ARPT. I NEVER AGAIN STARTED THE ENG. I HAD SELECTED A ROAD THAT WOULD BE CLR OF TFC BY THE TIME I REACHED IT. I NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT I HAD SELECTED A ROAD S OF THE ARPT TO LAND. I THINK I TOLD THEM THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY HEARD ME. AS I LANDED THE L WING STRUCK A REFLECTIVE ROADSIDE MARKER. WITH ALL WHEELS DOWN I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE TWR THAT WE WERE OK. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO ALLOW THE TFC WHICH WOULD BE APCHING TO PASS BY AND CONTINUED TO TRY TO CONTACT THE TWR. I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RPT MY POS AND TURNED OFF THE RADIOS AND MASTER SWITCH. I ESTIMATED THAT I WAS IN THE AIR FOR 3 HRS AND 50 MINS. MY HOBBS METER SHOWED AN ELAPSED TIME OF 4.4 HRS. I BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE TO BE A TOTAL OF THE FOLLOWING: TAXI TIME TO AND FROM THE FUEL PUMP, START-UP, TAXI AND RUN-UP TIME BEFORE TKOF, TIME ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE TWR AFTER LNDG. I AM MOST PUZZLED BY THE SHORT TIME RUN FROM THE R TANK. THIS TANK SHOULD HAVE EASILY RUN FOR 2 HRS AND 30 MINS AS IT WAS ONLY RUN AFTER REACHING ALT AND LEANING THE MIXTURE. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION WITH THE OWNER OF THE ACFT I HAVE COME TO ONE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE EARLY EXHAUSTION OF FUEL. THE ACFT WAS FUELED WITH 90 LBS OF BAGGAGE IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND THE FRONT STRUT WAS EXTENDED MORE THAN USUAL WITH NO PERSONS ABOARD. IN THIS NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE IT IS LIKELY THAT THE TANKS COULD NOT BE FILLED COMPLETELY. POSSIBLE AVOIDANCE: REPOSITION ACFT LEVEL AND CHK FUEL. WHEN GAUGES INDICATE 1 HR RESERVE, LAND ASAP AND REFUEL.

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.