Narrative:

Cross country flight made from 52F-crs successfully during the times of AA00 local time and BB00 local time. 1 touch-and-go and 2 full stops performed successfully between DD00 and DD15 local. Departed crs at CC00 local en route to 52R. Purposely flew around class airspace for safer flight. At approximately EE00 local was approved by afw to transition their airport to the northwest. (Note: tanks topped off prior to departure from 52F.) after frequency change approved, began descent from 2500 ft MSL to 1500 ft MSL in preparation for landing at 52F. Decision was made to clear afw airspace completely before turning east for 52F. At the time of engine failure, estimated remaining fuel based on total elapsed flying time of 3 hours was approximately 1 hour. Additionally, left fuel gauge reading between 1/4 and 1/2 tank helped confirm this estimate. Hobbs meter not readable due to numbers being slightly off center. Engine failed at approximately EE15 local. Restart procedure proved ineffective. Shutdown and forced landing ensued. No injuries resulted from landing in a field. Aircraft sustained moderate damage. Based on the definition of 'accident' (substantial damage given by NTSB 830.1) it is my opinion that the incident did not classify as an accident because: 1) no injuries. 2) damage was due to propeller contact with ground, wheel damage because of rough ground, and wingtip and leading edge dents due to contact with small trees and low speed nose-over due to rough/soft ground. (I.e., did not meet criteria for 'substantial damage' given in NTSB 830.2.) owner of aircraft notified. He said he would contact the FAA/NTSB for investigation. Even though estimated and indicated fuel were within the right guidelines of destination plus 45 mins fuel, I should have been more conservative given my limited night flying expensive. Next time, I will use more conservative night fuel reserves of destination plus 1 1/2 hours! It is my opinion that lack of fuel was the cause, however, I am awaiting the results of the FAA/NTSB investigation. I believe the airplane used much more fuel than the performance specifications in the owner's manual portrayed. I will also research the planes I rent more thoroughly before renting to make sure I know any 'quirks' the individual plane possesses.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL STARVATION RESULTING IN FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: XCOUNTRY FLT MADE FROM 52F-CRS SUCCESSFULLY DURING THE TIMES OF AA00 LCL TIME AND BB00 LCL TIME. 1 TOUCH-AND-GO AND 2 FULL STOPS PERFORMED SUCCESSFULLY BTWN DD00 AND DD15 LCL. DEPARTED CRS AT CC00 LCL ENRTE TO 52R. PURPOSELY FLEW AROUND CLASS AIRSPACE FOR SAFER FLT. AT APPROX EE00 LCL WAS APPROVED BY AFW TO TRANSITION THEIR ARPT TO THE NW. (NOTE: TANKS TOPPED OFF PRIOR TO DEP FROM 52F.) AFTER FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, BEGAN DSCNT FROM 2500 FT MSL TO 1500 FT MSL IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG AT 52F. DECISION WAS MADE TO CLR AFW AIRSPACE COMPLETELY BEFORE TURNING E FOR 52F. AT THE TIME OF ENG FAILURE, ESTIMATED REMAINING FUEL BASED ON TOTAL ELAPSED FLYING TIME OF 3 HRS WAS APPROX 1 HR. ADDITIONALLY, L FUEL GAUGE READING BTWN 1/4 AND 1/2 TANK HELPED CONFIRM THIS ESTIMATE. HOBBS METER NOT READABLE DUE TO NUMBERS BEING SLIGHTLY OFF CTR. ENG FAILED AT APPROX EE15 LCL. RESTART PROC PROVED INEFFECTIVE. SHUTDOWN AND FORCED LNDG ENSUED. NO INJURIES RESULTED FROM LNDG IN A FIELD. ACFT SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE. BASED ON THE DEFINITION OF 'ACCIDENT' (SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE GIVEN BY NTSB 830.1) IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT CLASSIFY AS AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE: 1) NO INJURIES. 2) DAMAGE WAS DUE TO PROP CONTACT WITH GND, WHEEL DAMAGE BECAUSE OF ROUGH GND, AND WINGTIP AND LEADING EDGE DENTS DUE TO CONTACT WITH SMALL TREES AND LOW SPD NOSE-OVER DUE TO ROUGH/SOFT GND. (I.E., DID NOT MEET CRITERIA FOR 'SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE' GIVEN IN NTSB 830.2.) OWNER OF ACFT NOTIFIED. HE SAID HE WOULD CONTACT THE FAA/NTSB FOR INVESTIGATION. EVEN THOUGH ESTIMATED AND INDICATED FUEL WERE WITHIN THE RIGHT GUIDELINES OF DEST PLUS 45 MINS FUEL, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CONSERVATIVE GIVEN MY LIMITED NIGHT FLYING EXPENSIVE. NEXT TIME, I WILL USE MORE CONSERVATIVE NIGHT FUEL RESERVES OF DEST PLUS 1 1/2 HRS! IT IS MY OPINION THAT LACK OF FUEL WAS THE CAUSE, HOWEVER, I AM AWAITING THE RESULTS OF THE FAA/NTSB INVESTIGATION. I BELIEVE THE AIRPLANE USED MUCH MORE FUEL THAN THE PERFORMANCE SPECS IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL PORTRAYED. I WILL ALSO RESEARCH THE PLANES I RENT MORE THOROUGHLY BEFORE RENTING TO MAKE SURE I KNOW ANY 'QUIRKS' THE INDIVIDUAL PLANE POSSESSES.

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.