Narrative:

I was acting as PIC of a piper PA-25-235 pawnee. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was being used to tow gliders at eagle field airport north of omaha, northeast. The field is a private airport and CTAF radio communication was being used. At the time of the occurrence I was making my 14TH tow of the day in strong gusty winds (approximately 30 mph). This tow was to be my last tow of the day, and the glider operations were to end after this tow. The glider was hooked to the pawnee tow plane. After getting the signal for takeoff from the glider ground crew and the glider pilot, I proceeded to takeoff and climb to 3000 ft AGL approximately 4 - 5 mi southwest of the field with glider in tow. During the climb out, I noticed the fuel gauge indicating less than 5 gallons (during the climb), it had indicated approximately 7 - 8 gallons the last time I looked at it while on the ground just prior to glider hook up. Upon reaching 3000 ft AGL, just prior to the planned release point of the glider, the pawnee suddenly lost power as the engine quit. I immediately advised the glider in tow that I had a problem with the pawnee and that he should break away. The glider pilot did so and at that time I set best glide speed. Turned back towards the airport and attempted to restart the pawnee engine without success. I advised the glider ground crew and other possible traffic in the area that I had an engine out and was returning to the airport for landing. Due to a strong tailwind, approximately (30 mph) I arrived over the field at approximately 850 ft AGL. I attempted to enter a left downwind leg to runway 18 (note the wind was out of approximately 200 degrees at 30 mph). As I turned base leg. I realized that I had not compensated enough for the wind and would not be able to stretch the final to the runway. At that time I elected to land short of the runway in a plowed cornfield just across the highway at the end of runway 18. The landing in the field was made and no damage was done to the aircraft or cornfield. In addition no injury was sustained to myself or anyone else. The next day the aircraft was drained of any fuel (only a few drops) and then refueled and run-up for testing. A compression test was done by a licensed mechanic. The engine and aircraft checked out to be airworthy. The cause of the engine loss of power was determined to be fuel starvation. From this incident I have learned that a combination of my complacency and fatigue, brought about by 14 prior routine tows, along with my failure to monitor my fuel burn and supply aboard the aircraft, led to the fuel starvation and power loss of the aircraft engine. Also my misjudgment of the effects of the wind led to the off field landing of the aircraft. I do feel fortunate that my prior training left me able to at least get the aircraft back on the ground without any damage or injury. The readers of this report can be assured that this writer/pilot will never again be neglectful of his responsibility as PIC of any aircraft in regards to fuel management.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION CAUSES OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS PIC OF A PIPER PA-25-235 PAWNEE. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE ACFT WAS BEING USED TO TOW GLIDERS AT EAGLE FIELD ARPT N OF OMAHA, NE. THE FIELD IS A PVT ARPT AND CTAF RADIO COM WAS BEING USED. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE I WAS MAKING MY 14TH TOW OF THE DAY IN STRONG GUSTY WINDS (APPROX 30 MPH). THIS TOW WAS TO BE MY LAST TOW OF THE DAY, AND THE GLIDER OPS WERE TO END AFTER THIS TOW. THE GLIDER WAS HOOKED TO THE PAWNEE TOW PLANE. AFTER GETTING THE SIGNAL FOR TKOF FROM THE GLIDER GND CREW AND THE GLIDER PLT, I PROCEEDED TO TKOF AND CLB TO 3000 FT AGL APPROX 4 - 5 MI SW OF THE FIELD WITH GLIDER IN TOW. DURING THE CLBOUT, I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATING LESS THAN 5 GALLONS (DURING THE CLB), IT HAD INDICATED APPROX 7 - 8 GALLONS THE LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT WHILE ON THE GND JUST PRIOR TO GLIDER HOOK UP. UPON REACHING 3000 FT AGL, JUST PRIOR TO THE PLANNED RELEASE POINT OF THE GLIDER, THE PAWNEE SUDDENLY LOST PWR AS THE ENG QUIT. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THE GLIDER IN TOW THAT I HAD A PROB WITH THE PAWNEE AND THAT HE SHOULD BREAK AWAY. THE GLIDER PLT DID SO AND AT THAT TIME I SET BEST GLIDE SPD. TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE PAWNEE ENG WITHOUT SUCCESS. I ADVISED THE GLIDER GND CREW AND OTHER POSSIBLE TFC IN THE AREA THAT I HAD AN ENG OUT AND WAS RETURNING TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. DUE TO A STRONG TAILWIND, APPROX (30 MPH) I ARRIVED OVER THE FIELD AT APPROX 850 FT AGL. I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 18 (NOTE THE WIND WAS OUT OF APPROX 200 DEGS AT 30 MPH). AS I TURNED BASE LEG. I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT COMPENSATED ENOUGH FOR THE WIND AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STRETCH THE FINAL TO THE RWY. AT THAT TIME I ELECTED TO LAND SHORT OF THE RWY IN A PLOWED CORNFIELD JUST ACROSS THE HWY AT THE END OF RWY 18. THE LNDG IN THE FIELD WAS MADE AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT OR CORNFIELD. IN ADDITION NO INJURY WAS SUSTAINED TO MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE. THE NEXT DAY THE ACFT WAS DRAINED OF ANY FUEL (ONLY A FEW DROPS) AND THEN REFUELED AND RUN-UP FOR TESTING. A COMPRESSION TEST WAS DONE BY A LICENSED MECH. THE ENG AND ACFT CHKED OUT TO BE AIRWORTHY. THE CAUSE OF THE ENG LOSS OF PWR WAS DETERMINED TO BE FUEL STARVATION. FROM THIS INCIDENT I HAVE LEARNED THAT A COMBINATION OF MY COMPLACENCY AND FATIGUE, BROUGHT ABOUT BY 14 PRIOR ROUTINE TOWS, ALONG WITH MY FAILURE TO MONITOR MY FUEL BURN AND SUPPLY ABOARD THE ACFT, LED TO THE FUEL STARVATION AND PWR LOSS OF THE ACFT ENG. ALSO MY MISJUDGMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE WIND LED TO THE OFF FIELD LNDG OF THE ACFT. I DO FEEL FORTUNATE THAT MY PRIOR TRAINING LEFT ME ABLE TO AT LEAST GET THE ACFT BACK ON THE GND WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY. THE READERS OF THIS RPT CAN BE ASSURED THAT THIS WRITER/PLT WILL NEVER AGAIN BE NEGLECTFUL OF HIS RESPONSIBILITY AS PIC OF ANY ACFT IN REGARDS TO FUEL MGMNT.

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.