An small aircraft landed without any fuel available to the engine.

Attributes
ACN	268144
Time
Date	199404
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 298 airport : w98
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	268144
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft departed county airport at approximately XA00 pm EST en route to hanover company airport. The flight was estimated to be 2:00 hours long. A global positioning system was used as primary navigation. 3 hours of fuel was onboard. Fuel flow during cruise showed to be 100 pounds per hour (300 pounds of fuel was onboard at takeoff). After constant monitoring of fuel quantity during the flight, a decision to divert to chesterfield company airport was made due to an unusually low quantity of fuel in main tanks. At 10 mi from the airport, the right main tank emptied and fuel selection was switched to the left main tank. At 3 mi from airport, the left main tank emptied and engine power was lost. With propeller windmilling, the field was within gliding distance and an emergency landing was made opposite of direction of traffic -- no injuries to people on board, and no damage to aircraft. Radio contact with chesterfield company unicom was established before the incident. A declaration of emergency was made and the aircraft was landed against flow of traffic with no conflict with other aircraft in pattern. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter no longer works for the company for whom he used to fly on a part time basis -- he was laid off because of this incident. The reporter was flying a cessna 210M with tip tanks added to the wings. After this report was submitted and after the reporter was 'laid off,' the reporter found that fuel can be transferred to the tip tanks from the main tanks without it being asked to do so. On this particular aircraft, up to 10 gallons could be transferred to the tips before it showed on the tip tank gauges because of corrosion and poor gauges. An FAA operations inspector offered the reporter remedial training which he took instead of certificate action. The reporter would like the ASRS to do whatever it can to remedy the fuel tank situation. The reporter is now aware of the 'mdr' form and the FAA aviation safety hotline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED WITHOUT ANY FUEL AVAILABLE TO THE ENG.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED COUNTY ARPT AT APPROX XA00 PM EST ENRTE TO HANOVER COMPANY ARPT. THE FLT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 2:00 HOURS LONG. A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYS WAS USED AS PRIMARY NAV. 3 HOURS OF FUEL WAS ONBOARD. FUEL FLOW DURING CRUISE SHOWED TO BE 100 LBS PER HR (300 LBS OF FUEL WAS ONBOARD AT TKOF). AFTER CONSTANT MONITORING OF FUEL QUANTITY DURING THE FLT, A DECISION TO DIVERT TO CHESTERFIELD COMPANY ARPT WAS MADE DUE TO AN UNUSUALLY LOW QUANTITY OF FUEL IN MAIN TANKS. AT 10 MI FROM THE ARPT, THE R MAIN TANK EMPTIED AND FUEL SELECTION WAS SWITCHED TO THE L MAIN TANK. AT 3 MI FROM ARPT, THE L MAIN TANK EMPTIED AND ENG PWR WAS LOST. WITH PROP WINDMILLING, THE FIELD WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE AND AN EMER LNDG WAS MADE OPPOSITE OF DIRECTION OF TFC -- NO INJURIES TO PEOPLE ON BOARD, AND NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. RADIO CONTACT WITH CHESTERFIELD COMPANY UNICOM WAS ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE INCIDENT. A DECLARATION OF EMER WAS MADE AND THE ACFT WAS LANDED AGAINST FLOW OF TFC WITH NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT IN PATTERN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE COMPANY FOR WHOM HE USED TO FLY ON A PART TIME BASIS -- HE WAS LAID OFF BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CESSNA 210M WITH TIP TANKS ADDED TO THE WINGS. AFTER THIS RPT WAS SUBMITTED AND AFTER THE RPTR WAS 'LAID OFF,' THE RPTR FOUND THAT FUEL CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO THE TIP TANKS FROM THE MAIN TANKS WITHOUT IT BEING ASKED TO DO SO. ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT, UP TO 10 GALLONS COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE TIPS BEFORE IT SHOWED ON THE TIP TANK GAUGES BECAUSE OF CORROSION AND POOR GAUGES. AN FAA OPS INSPECTOR OFFERED THE RPTR REMEDIAL TRAINING WHICH HE TOOK INSTEAD OF CERTIFICATE ACTION. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE THE ASRS TO DO WHATEVER IT CAN TO REMEDY THE FUEL TANK SIT. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE 'MDR' FORM AND THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.