Narrative:

I made a flight from key west to albert whitted airport on dec/xx/94. The flight was made in a piper archer. I flight planned the plane to burn 10 gallons per hour at 65 percent power. The aircraft had 2 hours less than full fuel, which I visually checked at my departure point. During the course of the flight, as I approached sarasota where I was planning a fuel stop, the engine quit from apparent fuel exhaustion on the left fuel tank. I switched to the right tank, but the engine failed to restart. I was surprised that, after less than 4 hours of flight time, I was faced with possible fuel exhaustion. The left tank at the time of apparent fuel exhaustion I was indicating just less than 5 gallons. I quickly started looking for a suitable landing area, which at pattern altitude left me with very few options to choose from. After viewing the surrounding area, I decided to make the forced landing on a road. This choice seemed to be the only available one. I went to my best glide speed in the archer and set up a straight-in approach to 12TH st in sarasota. In my descent, I was very careful to avoid any obstructions. I was faced with a landing area that, on the north side of the street, had concrete pillars which supported pwrlines and street lights. I tried to stay to the right of these obstacles while trying to stay as close to the median as I could avoid cars driving on the street. The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing during rollout from a sign located in the median of the road. After touching down, I applied brakes firmly to ensure I would stop before the intersection of united states 301. Once the airplane came to a complete stop, I turned off the fuel selector and electrical equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I MADE A FLT FROM KEY W TO ALBERT WHITTED ARPT ON DEC/XX/94. THE FLT WAS MADE IN A PIPER ARCHER. I FLT PLANNED THE PLANE TO BURN 10 GALLONS PER HR AT 65 PERCENT PWR. THE ACFT HAD 2 HRS LESS THAN FULL FUEL, WHICH I VISUALLY CHKED AT MY DEP POINT. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLT, AS I APCHED SARASOTA WHERE I WAS PLANNING A FUEL STOP, THE ENG QUIT FROM APPARENT FUEL EXHAUSTION ON THE L FUEL TANK. I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK, BUT THE ENG FAILED TO RESTART. I WAS SURPRISED THAT, AFTER LESS THAN 4 HRS OF FLT TIME, I WAS FACED WITH POSSIBLE FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE L TANK AT THE TIME OF APPARENT FUEL EXHAUSTION I WAS INDICATING JUST LESS THAN 5 GALLONS. I QUICKLY STARTED LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LNDG AREA, WHICH AT PATTERN ALT LEFT ME WITH VERY FEW OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM. AFTER VIEWING THE SURROUNDING AREA, I DECIDED TO MAKE THE FORCED LNDG ON A ROAD. THIS CHOICE SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY AVAILABLE ONE. I WENT TO MY BEST GLIDE SPD IN THE ARCHER AND SET UP A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO 12TH ST IN SARASOTA. IN MY DSCNT, I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO AVOID ANY OBSTRUCTIONS. I WAS FACED WITH A LNDG AREA THAT, ON THE N SIDE OF THE STREET, HAD CONCRETE PILLARS WHICH SUPPORTED PWRLINES AND STREET LIGHTS. I TRIED TO STAY TO THE R OF THESE OBSTACLES WHILE TRYING TO STAY AS CLOSE TO THE MEDIAN AS I COULD AVOID CARS DRIVING ON THE STREET. THE ACFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE L WING DURING ROLLOUT FROM A SIGN LOCATED IN THE MEDIAN OF THE ROAD. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, I APPLIED BRAKES FIRMLY TO ENSURE I WOULD STOP BEFORE THE INTXN OF UNITED STATES 301. ONCE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, I TURNED OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR AND ELECTRICAL EQUIP.

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.