Narrative:

On nov/xx/94, I took my C-210 from middletown, oh, to port columbus to have the new storm scope worked on again, as it had never been operational since installed in the middle of june. I had asked them to fly the airplane after fixing it, to make sure absolutely that it was fixed this time. On nov/xx/94 my brother flew me up to port columbus to pick up the C-210. The mechanics told me they did not fly the plane because the fuel was low and they couldn't get the fuel man there for some reason. I went in to their secretary and asked if she would call for the fuel truck. She did call and spent some time answering questions of the fuel man, then she turned to me and said he wanted to talk to me. When I answered, he asked if I wanted the plane topped off and I told him yes. Then he asked me how many gallons it would take. I told him it would take at least 60-70 gallons as I felt I had about an hour of fuel left. He questioned me on this amount and I told him if it was a problem I could probably get by with only 10 or so gallons. He said when he got the truck there he could pump as many as I wanted. I said 'fine' and told him to come on as I was ready and he said ok, I'll be right there. My brother and I walked out to the plane and waited for the fuel truck. After about 15 min a mechanic came out of the maintenance hangar and said I was wanted on the phone by the fuel man. As I was walking in to answer it, I asked the mechanic if he knew what the fuel man wanted. He said he didn't know what but it was something about who was going to pay for the fuel. It shouldn't have, but this made me angry, so I said to hell with the fuel man, I was going on home. I flew about 20 min out of port columbus when the left tank ran out and I switched to the right tank and immediately headed for green county airport for fuel. I thought it was about 10 mi away. In 3 or 4 min that tank ran out and I told dayton approach that I was making a forced landing. I had felt I had at least 1/2 an hour left in the right tank, but when the left tank ran out I definitely was not going to try to stretch it - - so to the nearest airport. In the rush of the emergency I forgot to put the gear down and landed in a nice big winter wheat field. If I had just put down the gear there would have been no damage at all. I just screwed up and feel I used poor judgement. Contributing factors: I definitely got a short fuel load a craig field in jacksonville -- got less than 6 hours out of the 89 gallons useable. I had told the line boy to fill it to 1/4 inch of the top skin of the wing but he did not. ( I cruise at 12.5 gallons per hour including takeoff and climb.) when I arrived at middletown from jacksonville on xa nov/xx/94 I called unicom and asked for fuel -- I got no answer and I did not call later to confirm -- (mistake). I was not pleased with X company due to their poor installation of the storm scope and this could have had a small peripheral influence. I feel this incident was purely pilot error through exercising poor judgement on my part. (Never stretch your fuel).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR RUNS OUT OF FUEL AND FORGETS TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN FOR HIS FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: ON NOV/XX/94, I TOOK MY C-210 FROM MIDDLETOWN, OH, TO PORT COLUMBUS TO HAVE THE NEW STORM SCOPE WORKED ON AGAIN, AS IT HAD NEVER BEEN OPERATIONAL SINCE INSTALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE. I HAD ASKED THEM TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AFTER FIXING IT, TO MAKE SURE ABSOLUTELY THAT IT WAS FIXED THIS TIME. ON NOV/XX/94 MY BROTHER FLEW ME UP TO PORT COLUMBUS TO PICK UP THE C-210. THE MECHS TOLD ME THEY DID NOT FLY THE PLANE BECAUSE THE FUEL WAS LOW AND THEY COULDN'T GET THE FUEL MAN THERE FOR SOME REASON. I WENT IN TO THEIR SECRETARY AND ASKED IF SHE WOULD CALL FOR THE FUEL TRUCK. SHE DID CALL AND SPENT SOME TIME ANSWERING QUESTIONS OF THE FUEL MAN, THEN SHE TURNED TO ME AND SAID HE WANTED TO TALK TO ME. WHEN I ANSWERED, HE ASKED IF I WANTED THE PLANE TOPPED OFF AND I TOLD HIM YES. THEN HE ASKED ME HOW MANY GALLONS IT WOULD TAKE. I TOLD HIM IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 60-70 GALLONS AS I FELT I HAD ABOUT AN HR OF FUEL LEFT. HE QUESTIONED ME ON THIS AMOUNT AND I TOLD HIM IF IT WAS A PROB I COULD PROBABLY GET BY WITH ONLY 10 OR SO GALLONS. HE SAID WHEN HE GOT THE TRUCK THERE HE COULD PUMP AS MANY AS I WANTED. I SAID 'FINE' AND TOLD HIM TO COME ON AS I WAS READY AND HE SAID OK, I'LL BE RIGHT THERE. MY BROTHER AND I WALKED OUT TO THE PLANE AND WAITED FOR THE FUEL TRUCK. AFTER ABOUT 15 MIN A MECH CAME OUT OF THE MAINT HANGAR AND SAID I WAS WANTED ON THE PHONE BY THE FUEL MAN. AS I WAS WALKING IN TO ANSWER IT, I ASKED THE MECH IF HE KNEW WHAT THE FUEL MAN WANTED. HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT BUT IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT WHO WAS GOING TO PAY FOR THE FUEL. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE, BUT THIS MADE ME ANGRY, SO I SAID TO HELL WITH THE FUEL MAN, I WAS GOING ON HOME. I FLEW ABOUT 20 MIN OUT OF PORT COLUMBUS WHEN THE L TANK RAN OUT AND I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK AND IMMEDIATELY HEADED FOR GREEN COUNTY ARPT FOR FUEL. I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT 10 MI AWAY. IN 3 OR 4 MIN THAT TANK RAN OUT AND I TOLD DAYTON APCH THAT I WAS MAKING A FORCED LNDG. I HAD FELT I HAD AT LEAST 1/2 AN HR LEFT IN THE R TANK, BUT WHEN THE L TANK RAN OUT I DEFINITELY WAS NOT GOING TO TRY TO STRETCH IT - - SO TO THE NEAREST ARPT. IN THE RUSH OF THE EMER I FORGOT TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND LANDED IN A NICE BIG WINTER WHEAT FIELD. IF I HAD JUST PUT DOWN THE GEAR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO DAMAGE AT ALL. I JUST SCREWED UP AND FEEL I USED POOR JUDGEMENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I DEFINITELY GOT A SHORT FUEL LOAD A CRAIG FIELD IN JACKSONVILLE -- GOT LESS THAN 6 HRS OUT OF THE 89 GALLONS USEABLE. I HAD TOLD THE LINE BOY TO FILL IT TO 1/4 INCH OF THE TOP SKIN OF THE WING BUT HE DID NOT. ( I CRUISE AT 12.5 GALLONS PER HR INCLUDING TKOF AND CLB.) WHEN I ARRIVED AT MIDDLETOWN FROM JACKSONVILLE ON XA NOV/XX/94 I CALLED UNICOM AND ASKED FOR FUEL -- I GOT NO ANSWER AND I DID NOT CALL LATER TO CONFIRM -- (MISTAKE). I WAS NOT PLEASED WITH X COMPANY DUE TO THEIR POOR INSTALLATION OF THE STORM SCOPE AND THIS COULD HAVE HAD A SMALL PERIPHERAL INFLUENCE. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT WAS PURELY PLT ERROR THROUGH EXERCISING POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART. (NEVER STRETCH YOUR FUEL).

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.