Forced landing as a result of fuel starvation.

Attributes
ACN	282414
Time
Date	199409
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ski
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	282414
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : airport manager
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After inquiring from an instructor at the FBO where I rent aircraft, he informed me that the airplane, a 172 cessna was all ready to go. I asked him what size tanks the airplane was outfitted with and he stated 43 gallons, 40 usable. I calculated at 8 gallons per hour. That would give me 5 hours flying time and since my trip was planned to be 3 1/2 hours, I would have 1 1/2 hours to spare. 20 mi from my destination I called on unicom for airport advisory, and received a message that the airport was closed and would have to go to wall lake. While checking the chart the engine started to sputter so I switched from both tanks to the left tank. The engine began to run better but I decided to scout out landing spots and taken into account the wind and distance to land I decided on a short stubble field and circled to land. I set up a downwind and the engine quit. I informed my passenger to put his shoulder harness on and then did a soft field landing without incident. I shut down the plane and we walked a short distance to a farm house and called sac city airport and asked the airport manager to close our flight plant and inform my uncle that we were alright. My uncle brought out 2 5-GALLON cans of 100 ll and after going over the field and pacing it off I decided I could fly it out after calculating takeoff distance for a soft field from the flight manual. I took off with 1 notch of flaps and then landed 15 NM away at my destination airport. After review I found out that someone flew the airplane. 8 hours the day before and it was not topped off. I had checked the tanks but could not tell 8 gallons were short. From now on I will top off before any trip of distance and plan a stop sooner even though I thought an hour and 1/2 was plenty of leeway. P.south. FSS told me 1 runway was under construction and closed but said nothing of the other runway. At sac city either way I would not have made it there my headwind was stronger than calculated and fuel burn had to be more.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORCED LNDG AS A RESULT OF FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: AFTER INQUIRING FROM AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE FBO WHERE I RENT ACFT, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE AIRPLANE, A 172 CESSNA WAS ALL READY TO GO. I ASKED HIM WHAT SIZE TANKS THE AIRPLANE WAS OUTFITTED WITH AND HE STATED 43 GALLONS, 40 USABLE. I CALCULATED AT 8 GALLONS PER HR. THAT WOULD GIVE ME 5 HRS FLYING TIME AND SINCE MY TRIP WAS PLANNED TO BE 3 1/2 HRS, I WOULD HAVE 1 1/2 HRS TO SPARE. 20 MI FROM MY DEST I CALLED ON UNICOM FOR ARPT ADVISORY, AND RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND WOULD HAVE TO GO TO WALL LAKE. WHILE CHKING THE CHART THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER SO I SWITCHED FROM BOTH TANKS TO THE L TANK. THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN BETTER BUT I DECIDED TO SCOUT OUT LNDG SPOTS AND TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE WIND AND DISTANCE TO LAND I DECIDED ON A SHORT STUBBLE FIELD AND CIRCLED TO LAND. I SET UP A DOWNWIND AND THE ENG QUIT. I INFORMED MY PAX TO PUT HIS SHOULDER HARNESS ON AND THEN DID A SOFT FIELD LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. I SHUT DOWN THE PLANE AND WE WALKED A SHORT DISTANCE TO A FARM HOUSE AND CALLED SAC CITY ARPT AND ASKED THE ARPT MGR TO CLOSE OUR FLT PLANT AND INFORM MY UNCLE THAT WE WERE ALRIGHT. MY UNCLE BROUGHT OUT 2 5-GALLON CANS OF 100 LL AND AFTER GOING OVER THE FIELD AND PACING IT OFF I DECIDED I COULD FLY IT OUT AFTER CALCULATING TKOF DISTANCE FOR A SOFT FIELD FROM THE FLT MANUAL. I TOOK OFF WITH 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS AND THEN LANDED 15 NM AWAY AT MY DEST ARPT. AFTER REVIEW I FOUND OUT THAT SOMEONE FLEW THE AIRPLANE. 8 HRS THE DAY BEFORE AND IT WAS NOT TOPPED OFF. I HAD CHKED THE TANKS BUT COULD NOT TELL 8 GALLONS WERE SHORT. FROM NOW ON I WILL TOP OFF BEFORE ANY TRIP OF DISTANCE AND PLAN A STOP SOONER EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT AN HR AND 1/2 WAS PLENTY OF LEEWAY. P.S. FSS TOLD ME 1 RWY WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND CLOSED BUT SAID NOTHING OF THE OTHER RWY. AT SAC CITY EITHER WAY I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT THERE MY HEADWIND WAS STRONGER THAN CALCULATED AND FUEL BURN HAD TO BE MORE.

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.