Narrative:

I needed to be in ormond before 'evening civil twilight' because I may not fly at night. Therefore, I decided to go direct to ormond instead of continuing the second leg to melbourne. To save time I also increased the power setting to 2500 RPM (95 KTS) so I was sure to arrive at omn before dark. When we were about 15 NM north of tix, I noticed the fuel gauges to below. But as I was taught not to rely on these gauges I started to calculate the endurance: the hobbs-meter read plus/minus 3.1 hours and with a simple multiplication I figured I had burned 5 gallons per hour times 3.1 hours equals 15.5 gallons of fuel. With 22.5 gallons of usable fuel aboard I thought that I could fly for another 1.4 hours (22.5 minus 15.5 divided by 5 gallons per hour). When we passed new smyrna beach (34J) airport I considered landing there because daytona approach told me that the ceiling in ormond was 800 ft and the sun just disappeared. Plus, that the fuel gauges were now getting very low, but I still decided to go on because of the following reasons: I just calculated 1.4 hours left to fly. DME was showing only 10 mins to the station (omn VORTAC). I figured that the flying school to which the airplane belonged wouldn't like a telephone call from me being stranded in new smyrna beach. I thought that my friends who would pick us up from ormond wouldn't' like me to be in new smyrna either. The CTAF/unicom frequency of 122.7 omn I asked for TA and the runway in use was runway 35. That runway was almost right in front of me so I reached the push-to- talk button announce long final for runway 35. At that moment the engine stopped (I was in a left turn) and immediately I knew that I was out of fuel. I made the mayday call on 122.70 MHZ as well as 121.5 MHZ. But, because I was only 800 ft high we didn't make it to that filed and crash-landed in the woods right before the open spot. The airplane was declared 'total loss.' up until that moment we arrived at orm, I still didn't know why there was no more fuel left because I calculated a had over an hour left after the crash. But, when someone at omn asked me what power setting I had used, it got to me that I had made a major mistake with the endurance calculation. I used 5 gallons per hour, which is only for cruise power setting (2300 RPM) while during most of the flight I had used 2400 and 2500 RPM, which uses almost 7 gallons per hour (7 times 3.3 equals 23.1 gallons which is greater than 22.5 usable gallons). I know now that it was a mistake I should have never made, but at the time it happened, I thought I was doing everything as I should. The corrective actions in this case would have been: using the recommended cruise power setting of 2300 RPM (86 KTS). Deciding that there was enough reason to land at new smyrna beach and not to take any risk, but at that moment, I did and I still don't know why.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT INVOLVED IN OFF ARPT, EMER FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I NEEDED TO BE IN ORMOND BEFORE 'EVENING CIVIL TWILIGHT' BECAUSE I MAY NOT FLY AT NIGHT. THEREFORE, I DECIDED TO GO DIRECT TO ORMOND INSTEAD OF CONTINUING THE SECOND LEG TO MELBOURNE. TO SAVE TIME I ALSO INCREASED THE PWR SETTING TO 2500 RPM (95 KTS) SO I WAS SURE TO ARRIVE AT OMN BEFORE DARK. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 15 NM N OF TIX, I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGES TO BELOW. BUT AS I WAS TAUGHT NOT TO RELY ON THESE GAUGES I STARTED TO CALCULATE THE ENDURANCE: THE HOBBS-METER READ PLUS/MINUS 3.1 HRS AND WITH A SIMPLE MULTIPLICATION I FIGURED I HAD BURNED 5 GALLONS PER HR TIMES 3.1 HRS EQUALS 15.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. WITH 22.5 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL ABOARD I THOUGHT THAT I COULD FLY FOR ANOTHER 1.4 HRS (22.5 MINUS 15.5 DIVIDED BY 5 GALLONS PER HR). WHEN WE PASSED NEW SMYRNA BEACH (34J) ARPT I CONSIDERED LNDG THERE BECAUSE DAYTONA APCH TOLD ME THAT THE CEILING IN ORMOND WAS 800 FT AND THE SUN JUST DISAPPEARED. PLUS, THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE NOW GETTING VERY LOW, BUT I STILL DECIDED TO GO ON BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS: I JUST CALCULATED 1.4 HRS LEFT TO FLY. DME WAS SHOWING ONLY 10 MINS TO THE STATION (OMN VORTAC). I FIGURED THAT THE FLYING SCHOOL TO WHICH THE AIRPLANE BELONGED WOULDN'T LIKE A TELEPHONE CALL FROM ME BEING STRANDED IN NEW SMYRNA BEACH. I THOUGHT THAT MY FRIENDS WHO WOULD PICK US UP FROM ORMOND WOULDN'T' LIKE ME TO BE IN NEW SMYRNA EITHER. THE CTAF/UNICOM FREQ OF 122.7 OMN I ASKED FOR TA AND THE RWY IN USE WAS RWY 35. THAT RWY WAS ALMOST RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME SO I REACHED THE PUSH-TO- TALK BUTTON ANNOUNCE LONG FINAL FOR RWY 35. AT THAT MOMENT THE ENG STOPPED (I WAS IN A L TURN) AND IMMEDIATELY I KNEW THAT I WAS OUT OF FUEL. I MADE THE MAYDAY CALL ON 122.70 MHZ AS WELL AS 121.5 MHZ. BUT, BECAUSE I WAS ONLY 800 FT HIGH WE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THAT FILED AND CRASH-LANDED IN THE WOODS RIGHT BEFORE THE OPEN SPOT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DECLARED 'TOTAL LOSS.' UP UNTIL THAT MOMENT WE ARRIVED AT ORM, I STILL DIDN'T KNOW WHY THERE WAS NO MORE FUEL LEFT BECAUSE I CALCULATED A HAD OVER AN HR LEFT AFTER THE CRASH. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE AT OMN ASKED ME WHAT PWR SETTING I HAD USED, IT GOT TO ME THAT I HAD MADE A MAJOR MISTAKE WITH THE ENDURANCE CALCULATION. I USED 5 GALLONS PER HR, WHICH IS ONLY FOR CRUISE PWR SETTING (2300 RPM) WHILE DURING MOST OF THE FLT I HAD USED 2400 AND 2500 RPM, WHICH USES ALMOST 7 GALLONS PER HR (7 TIMES 3.3 EQUALS 23.1 GALLONS WHICH IS GREATER THAN 22.5 USABLE GALLONS). I KNOW NOW THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE I SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE, BUT AT THE TIME IT HAPPENED, I THOUGHT I WAS DOING EVERYTHING AS I SHOULD. THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IN THIS CASE WOULD HAVE BEEN: USING THE RECOMMENDED CRUISE PWR SETTING OF 2300 RPM (86 KTS). DECIDING THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH REASON TO LAND AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH AND NOT TO TAKE ANY RISK, BUT AT THAT MOMENT, I DID AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY.

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.