Narrative:

I departed lancaster airport in a cessna 150 for the purpose of ferrying the aircraft. After a WX briefing a preflight inspection was completed and the aircraft was found to be in satisfactory condition with full tanks of fuel which were visually inspected and it was determined that the aircraft was capable of flying to the first fuel stop of wilmington, nc, with the required reserve remaining. The flight progressed according to plans. I picked up flight following at norfolk. South of norfolk, I was handed to ZDC for continued flight following, and I advised them that I was VFR to wilmington, nc. I noticed that, at times, their xmissions were broken and barely audible. As I crossed to roanoke river, ZDC advised me that we would most likely lose communication in a few mi but they would be restored further south. After crossing the roanoke river, as predicted, I lost communication with ZDC. I began to encounter turbulence and noticed an increased wind velocity. At this point, I was 2 hours 30 mins into the flight and knew I had 1 hour flying time left until I was at VFR reserve. I began to consider the possibility of needing to stop for fuel prior to my first intended destination. The airplane was not equipped with an egt to provide accurate leaning so I did the best I could and continued. I expected to be hearing from ZDC but was still not receiving them. I crossed kinston regional airport 3 hours 15 mins into my flight and now knew I needed to consider a fuel stop immediately, although I still did not have contact with ZDC, who was expecting me in wilmington. I decided to continue for 15 mins longer in an attempt to restore contact with ZDC and this would also put me close to an airport called ellis, where I would be able to refuel. The actual time to ellis was closer to 25 mins, and I realized I was now into my reserve and had to land. I still did not have contact with center to advise them of my destination change, so I changed frequency for ellis traffic and joined a 3 mi base for runway 5. I advised my location and intentions and 2 mi out my engine began to sputter. I immediately suspected fuel starvation. By 1 mi out on base the engine quit completely and I executed my forced landing procedures. I had the cessna towed to an FBO, refueled and called wilmington tower to advise them that I was on the ground at ellis getting fuel. Upon evaluation of all circumstances, the factors contributing to the situation are as follows. Winds: forecast winds at departure were 5 KTS or less at flight planned altitude. Upon further investigation it was determined that winds between norfolk and wilmington were actually 15-17 KTS along the route of flight. Performance: the age of the aircraft and the lack of an egt so as to provide accurate leaning, were factors found to affect the performance. The aircraft did not perform to operating handbook specifications causing inaccurate flight planning. Reserve: due to performance discrepancies, 30 mins of fuel reserve for conditions encountered may not be enough. Pilot intimidation: continued flight into reserve in an attempt to restore contact with ATC and advise of destination change. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a callback gave no further information. The reporter has received a letter of investigation from the FSDO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA RAN OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: I DEPARTED LANCASTER ARPT IN A CESSNA 150 FOR THE PURPOSE OF FERRYING THE ACFT. AFTER A WX BRIEFING A PREFLT INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO BE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION WITH FULL TANKS OF FUEL WHICH WERE VISUALLY INSPECTED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT WAS CAPABLE OF FLYING TO THE FIRST FUEL STOP OF WILMINGTON, NC, WITH THE REQUIRED RESERVE REMAINING. THE FLT PROGRESSED ACCORDING TO PLANS. I PICKED UP FLT FOLLOWING AT NORFOLK. S OF NORFOLK, I WAS HANDED TO ZDC FOR CONTINUED FLT FOLLOWING, AND I ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS VFR TO WILMINGTON, NC. I NOTICED THAT, AT TIMES, THEIR XMISSIONS WERE BROKEN AND BARELY AUDIBLE. AS I CROSSED TO ROANOKE RIVER, ZDC ADVISED ME THAT WE WOULD MOST LIKELY LOSE COM IN A FEW MI BUT THEY WOULD BE RESTORED FURTHER S. AFTER XING THE ROANOKE RIVER, AS PREDICTED, I LOST COM WITH ZDC. I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER TURB AND NOTICED AN INCREASED WIND VELOCITY. AT THIS POINT, I WAS 2 HRS 30 MINS INTO THE FLT AND KNEW I HAD 1 HR FLYING TIME LEFT UNTIL I WAS AT VFR RESERVE. I BEGAN TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF NEEDING TO STOP FOR FUEL PRIOR TO MY FIRST INTENDED DEST. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN EGT TO PROVIDE ACCURATE LEANING SO I DID THE BEST I COULD AND CONTINUED. I EXPECTED TO BE HEARING FROM ZDC BUT WAS STILL NOT RECEIVING THEM. I CROSSED KINSTON REGIONAL ARPT 3 HRS 15 MINS INTO MY FLT AND NOW KNEW I NEEDED TO CONSIDER A FUEL STOP IMMEDIATELY, ALTHOUGH I STILL DID NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH ZDC, WHO WAS EXPECTING ME IN WILMINGTON. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE FOR 15 MINS LONGER IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE CONTACT WITH ZDC AND THIS WOULD ALSO PUT ME CLOSE TO AN ARPT CALLED ELLIS, WHERE I WOULD BE ABLE TO REFUEL. THE ACTUAL TIME TO ELLIS WAS CLOSER TO 25 MINS, AND I REALIZED I WAS NOW INTO MY RESERVE AND HAD TO LAND. I STILL DID NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH CTR TO ADVISE THEM OF MY DEST CHANGE, SO I CHANGED FREQ FOR ELLIS TFC AND JOINED A 3 MI BASE FOR RWY 5. I ADVISED MY LOCATION AND INTENTIONS AND 2 MI OUT MY ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION. BY 1 MI OUT ON BASE THE ENG QUIT COMPLETELY AND I EXECUTED MY FORCED LNDG PROCS. I HAD THE CESSNA TOWED TO AN FBO, REFUELED AND CALLED WILMINGTON TWR TO ADVISE THEM THAT I WAS ON THE GND AT ELLIS GETTING FUEL. UPON EVALUATION OF ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SIT ARE AS FOLLOWS. WINDS: FORECAST WINDS AT DEP WERE 5 KTS OR LESS AT FLT PLANNED ALT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WINDS BTWN NORFOLK AND WILMINGTON WERE ACTUALLY 15-17 KTS ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. PERFORMANCE: THE AGE OF THE ACFT AND THE LACK OF AN EGT SO AS TO PROVIDE ACCURATE LEANING, WERE FACTORS FOUND TO AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE. THE ACFT DID NOT PERFORM TO OPERATING HANDBOOK SPECS CAUSING INACCURATE FLT PLANNING. RESERVE: DUE TO PERFORMANCE DISCREPANCIES, 30 MINS OF FUEL RESERVE FOR CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED MAY NOT BE ENOUGH. PLT INTIMIDATION: CONTINUED FLT INTO RESERVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE CONTACT WITH ATC AND ADVISE OF DEST CHANGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A CALLBACK GAVE NO FURTHER INFO. THE RPTR HAS RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE FSDO.

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.