Off airport emergency forced landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	272371
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	272371
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The flight originated in nephi, ut. A VFR flight plan was filed for a 3.5 hour flight to las vegas, nv. The fuel tanks were topped off in nephi 1 hour before takeoff. Cruise altitude was 8500 ft, which would mean a 4.22 hour endurance according to the aircraft flight manual. The flight lasted 3.5 hours at which time the engine quit on final approach to runway 25 at north las vegas airport. An emergency was declared and the aircraft was safely landed on a dirt road 1 mi from the runway. I believe the cause of the problem was twofold: not taking into account the effect of a hot day on fuel expansion and evaporation especially on automatic gas which was used in the airplane and incorrect leaning of the engine. Because it was a hot day and the engine oil was reading a higher temperature than normal, the mixture was set richer than normal to help in cooling the engine. Since the aircraft flight manual lists the endurance figures with a lean mixture, I should have taken into account this fact and reduced the endurance to reflect the richer mixture. The right fuel gauge was reading empty, but the left gauge showed nearly 1/4 of a tank, leading me to further believe I would have plenty of fuel to finish the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: THE FLT ORIGINATED IN NEPHI, UT. A VFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED FOR A 3.5 HR FLT TO LAS VEGAS, NV. THE FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF IN NEPHI 1 HR BEFORE TKOF. CRUISE ALT WAS 8500 FT, WHICH WOULD MEAN A 4.22 HR ENDURANCE ACCORDING TO THE ACFT FLT MANUAL. THE FLT LASTED 3.5 HRS AT WHICH TIME THE ENG QUIT ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 25 AT N LAS VEGAS ARPT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE ACFT WAS SAFELY LANDED ON A DIRT ROAD 1 MI FROM THE RWY. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS TWOFOLD: NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EFFECT OF A HOT DAY ON FUEL EXPANSION AND EVAPORATION ESPECIALLY ON AUTO GAS WHICH WAS USED IN THE AIRPLANE AND INCORRECT LEANING OF THE ENG. BECAUSE IT WAS A HOT DAY AND THE ENG OIL WAS READING A HIGHER TEMP THAN NORMAL, THE MIXTURE WAS SET RICHER THAN NORMAL TO HELP IN COOLING THE ENG. SINCE THE ACFT FLT MANUAL LISTS THE ENDURANCE FIGURES WITH A LEAN MIXTURE, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THIS FACT AND REDUCED THE ENDURANCE TO REFLECT THE RICHER MIXTURE. THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS READING EMPTY, BUT THE L GAUGE SHOWED NEARLY 1/4 OF A TANK, LEADING ME TO FURTHER BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL TO FINISH THE FLT.

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.