Narrative:

My dad and I were picking up a 1974 la-4-200 in syracuse, ny. We were finishing up the purchase process. It had just come out of annual. We filled the aircraft with fuel, checked it over and we were on our way. The first leg was from cortland, ny, to mansfield, oh, a distance of 285 NM. With a cruise speed of 110 KTS, the trip would take about 3 hours. We had 4 hours of fuel on board. (Or we thought we had 4 hours of fuel). At XX55, we called mansfield approach, they had advised our position. It was 27 mi northeast (almost due east) of mansfield. We had been with mansfield approach for about 4 min and we were just about to start our descent out of 6500 MSL. The engine suddenly stopped running. I immediately pushed the mixture control full rich, put the boost pump on, and checked the fuel quantity. The fuel quantity gauge was showing half tank. The engine would not restart. I advised mansfield approach of the situation. I asked bout the airport off the right side of the aircraft. (What had appeared to be an airport was actually a drag strip.) I asked ATC if there were any airports they could advise. There was an airport at 10:00 and 6 mi. We could not see the airport at 10 O'clock and 6 mi and figured it would be safer to land at the drag strip. I advised ATC of our intentions and landed at the drag strip. There was no damage to the aircraft or property. After landing, we checked the aircraft over. We determined the engine failure to be due to running out of fuel. Closer inspection revealed that the fuel bladder was collapsed. About this time the highway patrol shows up, after being advised by ATC of the situation. He gave us a ride to ashland city. We were able to get fuel and a mechanic. We returned to the aircraft. We put fuel in the tank and determined it would be safe to fly it to ashland city airport. There we further evaluated the problem. We determined it to be safe to fly the remainder of the trip. The final destination to be webster, mn. In short one and a half to 2 hour legs. Once at webster, I took the time and was able to come up with the probable cause. On the annual inspection, they replaced the fuel filler neck. In the fuel cell, I'm not sure if during this process they loosened the bladder snaps from the outer safety tank. If it was loose, they just didn't catch that. My inspection revealed all the top and back side snaps were loose from outer safety tank. I also determined that both the vent for the bladder as well as the vent for the outer safety tank were plugged. In this situation, when the tank was filled, the bladder would remain partially collapsed, because of the air between the bladder and the outer safety tank being trapped. (If you checked the fuel level with the dip stick, it would show proper level of fuel. In actuality, you could be short 10 to 12 gals easily. Like my situation from cortland to mansfield). I filled the tank and let it set for a hour or so. The fuel in the bladder would force some of the air out from between the bladder and outer safety tank, letting you get a more accurate fuel level on the dipstick.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: MY DAD AND I WERE PICKING UP A 1974 LA-4-200 IN SYRACUSE, NY. WE WERE FINISHING UP THE PURCHASE PROCESS. IT HAD JUST COME OUT OF ANNUAL. WE FILLED THE ACFT WITH FUEL, CHKED IT OVER AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. THE FIRST LEG WAS FROM CORTLAND, NY, TO MANSFIELD, OH, A DISTANCE OF 285 NM. WITH A CRUISE SPD OF 110 KTS, THE TRIP WOULD TAKE ABOUT 3 HRS. WE HAD 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. (OR WE THOUGHT WE HAD 4 HRS OF FUEL). AT XX55, WE CALLED MANSFIELD APCH, THEY HAD ADVISED OUR POS. IT WAS 27 MI NE (ALMOST DUE E) OF MANSFIELD. WE HAD BEEN WITH MANSFIELD APCH FOR ABOUT 4 MIN AND WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO START OUR DSCNT OUT OF 6500 MSL. THE ENG SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE MIXTURE CTL FULL RICH, PUT THE BOOST PUMP ON, AND CHKED THE FUEL QUANTITY. THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS SHOWING HALF TANK. THE ENG WOULD NOT RESTART. I ADVISED MANSFIELD APCH OF THE SIT. I ASKED BOUT THE ARPT OFF THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. (WHAT HAD APPEARED TO BE AN ARPT WAS ACTUALLY A DRAG STRIP.) I ASKED ATC IF THERE WERE ANY ARPTS THEY COULD ADVISE. THERE WAS AN ARPT AT 10:00 AND 6 MI. WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 6 MI AND FIGURED IT WOULD BE SAFER TO LAND AT THE DRAG STRIP. I ADVISED ATC OF OUR INTENTIONS AND LANDED AT THE DRAG STRIP. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY. AFTER LNDG, WE CHKED THE ACFT OVER. WE DETERMINED THE ENG FAILURE TO BE DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL BLADDER WAS COLLAPSED. ABOUT THIS TIME THE HWY PATROL SHOWS UP, AFTER BEING ADVISED BY ATC OF THE SIT. HE GAVE US A RIDE TO ASHLAND CITY. WE WERE ABLE TO GET FUEL AND A MECH. WE RETURNED TO THE ACFT. WE PUT FUEL IN THE TANK AND DETERMINED IT WOULD BE SAFE TO FLY IT TO ASHLAND CITY ARPT. THERE WE FURTHER EVALUATED THE PROB. WE DETERMINED IT TO BE SAFE TO FLY THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. THE FINAL DESTINATION TO BE WEBSTER, MN. IN SHORT ONE AND A HALF TO 2 HR LEGS. ONCE AT WEBSTER, I TOOK THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE PROBABLE CAUSE. ON THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, THEY REPLACED THE FUEL FILLER NECK. IN THE FUEL CELL, I'M NOT SURE IF DURING THIS PROCESS THEY LOOSENED THE BLADDER SNAPS FROM THE OUTER SAFETY TANK. IF IT WAS LOOSE, THEY JUST DIDN'T CATCH THAT. MY INSPECTION REVEALED ALL THE TOP AND BACK SIDE SNAPS WERE LOOSE FROM OUTER SAFETY TANK. I ALSO DETERMINED THAT BOTH THE VENT FOR THE BLADDER AS WELL AS THE VENT FOR THE OUTER SAFETY TANK WERE PLUGGED. IN THIS SIT, WHEN THE TANK WAS FILLED, THE BLADDER WOULD REMAIN PARTIALLY COLLAPSED, BECAUSE OF THE AIR BTWN THE BLADDER AND THE OUTER SAFETY TANK BEING TRAPPED. (IF YOU CHKED THE FUEL LEVEL WITH THE DIP STICK, IT WOULD SHOW PROPER LEVEL OF FUEL. IN ACTUALITY, YOU COULD BE SHORT 10 TO 12 GALS EASILY. LIKE MY SIT FROM CORTLAND TO MANSFIELD). I FILLED THE TANK AND LET IT SET FOR A HR OR SO. THE FUEL IN THE BLADDER WOULD FORCE SOME OF THE AIR OUT FROM BTWN THE BLADDER AND OUTER SAFETY TANK, LETTING YOU GET A MORE ACCURATE FUEL LEVEL ON THE DIPSTICK.

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.