Narrative:

Delivering the aircraft from ca to fl on dec/xx/94, I departed from phx to ink, tx. Arriving in the west tx area, a decision was made to land at pecos due to an operational VORTAC for that airport. En route to the pecos airport, the aircraft's engine failed. An engine restart was attempted in accordance with the aircraft's emergency procedures, but to no avail. A forced landing was made in a public golf course. There were no injuries to any persons on the ground or to the occupants of the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that, on preflight at sts, ccr, and phx, the left wing and engine drain valve appeared to be sticking slightly during his fuel drain procedure. Later, the decision was made to land at pecos because of a VOR outage at wink, tx, plus the planned VORTAC at salt flats. Since the pecos VOR was operable and that airport was only 5 mi away versus 20 mi for wink, the reporter decided on pecos. A low fuel situation was not suspected. When asked if the fuel gauges appeared low, then reporter stated that he relied on his fuel log rather than trust the fuel gauges in this airplane and that his fuel used estimates were on the conservative side. Postflt inspection by the local flight standards district office found only a cup of fuel when draining the tanks. The local flight standards district office is classifying the cause of this incident as 'fuel exhaustion.' the aircraft's slight damages were repaired and flown to fll with 3 stops. The preflight at each stop indicated the same problem with the fuel sump drain valve. At fll, when meeting the owner and placing the chocks in, a puddle of fuel was noted by the nose gear. Reporter says that the fuel leak was greater than anyone suspected. This was the fourth delivery type operation for the reporter who is currently an air carrier first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG AFTER PA28-141 SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: DELIVERING THE ACFT FROM CA TO FL ON DEC/XX/94, I DEPARTED FROM PHX TO INK, TX. ARRIVING IN THE W TX AREA, A DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT PECOS DUE TO AN OPERATIONAL VORTAC FOR THAT ARPT. ENRTE TO THE PECOS ARPT, THE ACFT'S ENG FAILED. AN ENG RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACFT'S EMER PROCS, BUT TO NO AVAIL. A FORCED LNDG WAS MADE IN A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSONS ON THE GND OR TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT, ON PREFLT AT STS, CCR, AND PHX, THE L WING AND ENG DRAIN VALVE APPEARED TO BE STICKING SLIGHTLY DURING HIS FUEL DRAIN PROC. LATER, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT PECOS BECAUSE OF A VOR OUTAGE AT WINK, TX, PLUS THE PLANNED VORTAC AT SALT FLATS. SINCE THE PECOS VOR WAS OPERABLE AND THAT ARPT WAS ONLY 5 MI AWAY VERSUS 20 MI FOR WINK, THE RPTR DECIDED ON PECOS. A LOW FUEL SIT WAS NOT SUSPECTED. WHEN ASKED IF THE FUEL GAUGES APPEARED LOW, THEN RPTR STATED THAT HE RELIED ON HIS FUEL LOG RATHER THAN TRUST THE FUEL GAUGES IN THIS AIRPLANE AND THAT HIS FUEL USED ESTIMATES WERE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE. POSTFLT INSPECTION BY THE LCL FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE FOUND ONLY A CUP OF FUEL WHEN DRAINING THE TANKS. THE LCL FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE IS CLASSIFYING THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT AS 'FUEL EXHAUSTION.' THE ACFT'S SLIGHT DAMAGES WERE REPAIRED AND FLOWN TO FLL WITH 3 STOPS. THE PREFLT AT EACH STOP INDICATED THE SAME PROB WITH THE FUEL SUMP DRAIN VALVE. AT FLL, WHEN MEETING THE OWNER AND PLACING THE CHOCKS IN, A PUDDLE OF FUEL WAS NOTED BY THE NOSE GEAR. RPTR SAYS THAT THE FUEL LEAK WAS GREATER THAN ANYONE SUSPECTED. THIS WAS THE FOURTH DELIVERY TYPE OP FOR THE RPTR WHO IS CURRENTLY AN ACR FO.

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.