Off airport emergency landing created by fuel starvation.

Attributes
ACN	293545
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : maf
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : maf
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	293545
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While flying back from elp I was focusing on my navigation (amount of deviation, GS, etc due to upcoming ATP chkride) and totally forgot to manage my fuel. My right fuel cell was completely dry. The emergency checklist calls for switching fuel tanks first (to prevent running the fuel pumps dry) but my first instinct was a broken engine fuel pump. This aircraft has been in and out of the maintenance shop due to vibration problems. Mixture and fuel flow gauge have been checked several times. The problem of vibration was never completely solved. So I thought that maybe what caused the problem (earlier vibration) now changed into an engine failure. While leveling off at 8000 ft, I noticed the loss of fuel pressure and asked ATC for the nearest airport (which was odessa schlemeyer) and started the emergency checklist and probably due to a worn detent in the left fuel tank position, I never noticed the detent. Knowing I had enough fuel I totally (20 gallons in the left fuel cell) focused on my 'engine failure.' knowing I wasn't going to make odessa schlemeyer, I chose an off-airport landing site, a lease-road of an oil field where I made a successful emergency landing, only doing minor damage (skin) to the left wingtip due to a pipeline marker. Relaying position and condition was done via a twin cessna who assisted while airborne. Authorities arrived approximately 30 mins later and reports were made. FAA inspected the aircraft and issued a ferry permit for the beech back to maf. I arrived there after an uneventful flight. (P.south. I asked ATC for distance because I was flying into the rising sun what reduced my forward visibility.) cause: distraction -- wanting to fly real precise (as ATP pilot to be) I lost track of my fuel management. Contributing factors: distraction -- engine never 100 percent after tbo/new engine so full attention was given to engine, not fuel supply. Actions: not according checklist. Following checklist procedures may have solved everything but since I never dealt with a real emergency I went too fast on some items (did not panic, but wasn't mr. Cool either).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT EMER LNDG CREATED BY FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING BACK FROM ELP I WAS FOCUSING ON MY NAV (AMOUNT OF DEV, GS, ETC DUE TO UPCOMING ATP CHKRIDE) AND TOTALLY FORGOT TO MANAGE MY FUEL. MY R FUEL CELL WAS COMPLETELY DRY. THE EMER CHKLIST CALLS FOR SWITCHING FUEL TANKS FIRST (TO PREVENT RUNNING THE FUEL PUMPS DRY) BUT MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS A BROKEN ENG FUEL PUMP. THIS ACFT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE MAINT SHOP DUE TO VIBRATION PROBS. MIXTURE AND FUEL FLOW GAUGE HAVE BEEN CHKED SEVERAL TIMES. THE PROB OF VIBRATION WAS NEVER COMPLETELY SOLVED. SO I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE WHAT CAUSED THE PROB (EARLIER VIBRATION) NOW CHANGED INTO AN ENG FAILURE. WHILE LEVELING OFF AT 8000 FT, I NOTICED THE LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE AND ASKED ATC FOR THE NEAREST ARPT (WHICH WAS ODESSA SCHLEMEYER) AND STARTED THE EMER CHKLIST AND PROBABLY DUE TO A WORN DETENT IN THE L FUEL TANK POS, I NEVER NOTICED THE DETENT. KNOWING I HAD ENOUGH FUEL I TOTALLY (20 GALLONS IN THE L FUEL CELL) FOCUSED ON MY 'ENG FAILURE.' KNOWING I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE ODESSA SCHLEMEYER, I CHOSE AN OFF-ARPT LNDG SITE, A LEASE-ROAD OF AN OIL FIELD WHERE I MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMER LNDG, ONLY DOING MINOR DAMAGE (SKIN) TO THE L WINGTIP DUE TO A PIPELINE MARKER. RELAYING POS AND CONDITION WAS DONE VIA A TWIN CESSNA WHO ASSISTED WHILE AIRBORNE. AUTHORITIES ARRIVED APPROX 30 MINS LATER AND RPTS WERE MADE. FAA INSPECTED THE ACFT AND ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT FOR THE BEECH BACK TO MAF. I ARRIVED THERE AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT. (P.S. I ASKED ATC FOR DISTANCE BECAUSE I WAS FLYING INTO THE RISING SUN WHAT REDUCED MY FORWARD VISIBILITY.) CAUSE: DISTR -- WANTING TO FLY REAL PRECISE (AS ATP PLT TO BE) I LOST TRACK OF MY FUEL MGMNT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DISTR -- ENG NEVER 100 PERCENT AFTER TBO/NEW ENG SO FULL ATTN WAS GIVEN TO ENG, NOT FUEL SUPPLY. ACTIONS: NOT ACCORDING CHKLIST. FOLLOWING CHKLIST PROCS MAY HAVE SOLVED EVERYTHING BUT SINCE I NEVER DEALT WITH A REAL EMER I WENT TOO FAST ON SOME ITEMS (DID NOT PANIC, BUT WASN'T MR. COOL EITHER).

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.