Narrative:

I was on a flight from glendive, mt, to farmington, NM, a distance of 750 mi, in my mooney M-20-east. Upon approach to the area of four corners airport at farmington radio contact was attempted but not established due to 1) other traffic calling 2) my radio was cutting out and receiving poorly. Because of this trouble contacting the tower I flew past the airport approximately 4 mi to the west on a south heading, then turning east, then to the north I came back and passed approximately 2 mi east of the airport in a northerly direction and went about 10 mi past the airport and circled to come back. Nearing the airport from the north and still not getting reasonable radio contact I diverted toward aztec airport which has no tower, about 15 mi to the east. A few mi later I ran out of av-gas and attempted landing on a road in rural northeast farmington. The sandy road was unmaintained, with brush on both sides and was unsuitable for landing, but was the only choice in this area of brush and rough terrain. The gear was badly damaged, the propeller bent and also damage done to the wing skin at the outer edges. I was the only person on board and was not injured. As pilot, I felt in control of the plane during the landing but was unable to avoid damage due to the terrain and inability to reach any better landing area. This incident was caused by inexact fuel measurement and will be corrected by adding a fuel flow meter/totalizer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS RADIO PROB, UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR. DIVERTS BUT RUNS OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM GLENDIVE, MT, TO FARMINGTON, NM, A DISTANCE OF 750 MI, IN MY MOONEY M-20-E. UPON APCH TO THE AREA OF FOUR CORNERS ARPT AT FARMINGTON RADIO CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTED BUT NOT ESTABLISHED DUE TO 1) OTHER TFC CALLING 2) MY RADIO WAS CUTTING OUT AND RECEIVING POORLY. BECAUSE OF THIS TROUBLE CONTACTING THE TWR I FLEW PAST THE ARPT APPROX 4 MI TO THE W ON A S HDG, THEN TURNING E, THEN TO THE N I CAME BACK AND PASSED APPROX 2 MI E OF THE ARPT IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND WENT ABOUT 10 MI PAST THE ARPT AND CIRCLED TO COME BACK. NEARING THE ARPT FROM THE N AND STILL NOT GETTING REASONABLE RADIO CONTACT I DIVERTED TOWARD AZTEC ARPT WHICH HAS NO TWR, ABOUT 15 MI TO THE E. A FEW MI LATER I RAN OUT OF AV-GAS AND ATTEMPTED LNDG ON A ROAD IN RURAL NE FARMINGTON. THE SANDY ROAD WAS UNMAINTAINED, WITH BRUSH ON BOTH SIDES AND WAS UNSUITABLE FOR LNDG, BUT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE IN THIS AREA OF BRUSH AND ROUGH TERRAIN. THE GEAR WAS BADLY DAMAGED, THE PROP BENT AND ALSO DAMAGE DONE TO THE WING SKIN AT THE OUTER EDGES. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND WAS NOT INJURED. AS PLT, I FELT IN CTL OF THE PLANE DURING THE LNDG BUT WAS UNABLE TO AVOID DAMAGE DUE TO THE TERRAIN AND INABILITY TO REACH ANY BETTER LNDG AREA. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY INEXACT FUEL MEASUREMENT AND WILL BE CORRECTED BY ADDING A FUEL FLOW METER/TOTALIZER.

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.