Engine quits at cruise. Forced landing.

Attributes
ACN	281851
Time
Date	199409
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ads
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ads
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other ground : preflight
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 420 flight time type : 7
ASRS Report	281851
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed ads runway 15 at XX20 local time. Made left turn to a heading of 360 degrees and climbed to 2000 ft MSL at a 25/25 power setting. Once level at 2000 MSL, established power setting of 21/23. Made left turn to a heading of 330 degree once clear of ads traffic, and stayed at 2000 ft MSL to be below dallas class B airspace. Engine sputtered, then caught, then sputtered and failed in flight. Pilot attempted several things to resolve situation: switch fuel tanks, cycled mixture, cycled magnetos, engaged starter, establish best glide speed of 100 KTS. Quickly made decision to emergency land. Picked only field available (off left wing), turned to base leg, then final. Once field made, dropped gear and flaps and made soft field landing. No damage to persons, property, or aircraft. Suspected cause: dry tank on right fuel tank. Knew from preflight that fuel was low. Should have had aircraft topped in ads versus attempting to fly to dto 20 NM away. Should have switched to left tank prior to takeoff due to 3/10 hour on ground waiting to take off. Did not switch tanks because did not trust left fuel gauge reading. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states there was no damage to aircraft. It was flown out the same day. The right tank indicated it had fuel, 19 gallons. Reporter believes the gauges are faulty in this rental aircraft. He faults the FBO as they indicated how much fuel aircraft had in it. Does not admit he did anything wrong but did the remedial training required by the FAA and incident is closed. Perhaps pilot error but thinks there was still some fuel in aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG QUITS AT CRUISE. FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED ADS RWY 15 AT XX20 LCL TIME. MADE L TURN TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND CLBED TO 2000 FT MSL AT A 25/25 PWR SETTING. ONCE LEVEL AT 2000 MSL, ESTABLISHED PWR SETTING OF 21/23. MADE L TURN TO A HDG OF 330 DEG ONCE CLR OF ADS TFC, AND STAYED AT 2000 FT MSL TO BE BELOW DALLAS CLASS B AIRSPACE. ENG SPUTTERED, THEN CAUGHT, THEN SPUTTERED AND FAILED IN FLT. PLT ATTEMPTED SEVERAL THINGS TO RESOLVE SIT: SWITCH FUEL TANKS, CYCLED MIXTURE, CYCLED MAGNETOS, ENGAGED STARTER, ESTABLISH BEST GLIDE SPD OF 100 KTS. QUICKLY MADE DECISION TO EMERGENCY LAND. PICKED ONLY FIELD AVAILABLE (OFF L WING), TURNED TO BASE LEG, THEN FINAL. ONCE FIELD MADE, DROPPED GEAR AND FLAPS AND MADE SOFT FIELD LNDG. NO DAMAGE TO PERSONS, PROPERTY, OR ACFT. SUSPECTED CAUSE: DRY TANK ON RIGHT FUEL TANK. KNEW FROM PREFLT THAT FUEL WAS LOW. SHOULD HAVE HAD ACFT TOPPED IN ADS VERSUS ATTEMPTING TO FLY TO DTO 20 NM AWAY. SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED TO L TANK PRIOR TO TKOF DUE TO 3/10 HR ON GND WAITING TO TAKE OFF. DID NOT SWITCH TANKS BECAUSE DID NOT TRUST L FUEL GAUGE READING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. IT WAS FLOWN OUT THE SAME DAY. THE R TANK INDICATED IT HAD FUEL, 19 GALLONS. RPTR BELIEVES THE GAUGES ARE FAULTY IN THIS RENTAL ACFT. HE FAULTS THE FBO AS THEY INDICATED HOW MUCH FUEL ACFT HAD IN IT. DOES NOT ADMIT HE DID ANYTHING WRONG BUT DID THE REMEDIAL TRAINING REQUIRED BY THE FAA AND INCIDENT IS CLOSED. PERHAPS PLT ERROR BUT THINKS THERE WAS STILL SOME FUEL IN ACFT.

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.