Narrative:

Myself and my wife, who is also a private pilot, and 2 friends were planning a wkend VFR trip from lawrenceville, GA, to gulfport, ms. Under normal circumstances we would have flown a club cessna 172XP which has 66 gallons of usable fuel capacity. On this particular saturday, the club plane had already been reserved by another member so we opted to rent a similar 172XP from our local flight school. After completing the rental agreement, we were informed by the school's owner, and by my instructor, that the rental 172XP had 66 gallons of usable fuel capacity and that it had been flown for 1.2 hours since being refueled. Based on my calculated time en route of 3.8 hours, a visual inspection of the fuel in the tanks, and using an average fuel burn of 10 gallons per hour cruise, I determined that there was sufficient fuel to complete the flight with ample reserve.approximately 40 mi from gulfport-biloxi regional airport, I started a slow descent from 8500 ft, leveling at approximately 2000 ft 12 mi out. I had been utilizing flight following from mobile and by then gulfport approach so I already had my transponder tuned to an appropriate unique squawk code. With the airport in sight and an indication of 1/8 tank still shown on the left fuel gauge, the engine quit. I immediately found the proper GS of 70 KTS and located a field for an emergency landing. I declared an emergency at XX46 pm local time and followed the emergency procedures that I had been taught through flight training. I verified every setting in the cockpit twice and prepared for landing. After completion of the emergency procedures, we located a road more suitable for a forced landing and turned the aircraft in the proper direction. Clearing a power line by 20 ft, and landing under 2 additional ones, I was down on the road's centerline with emergency vehicles visible just a short distance ahead. I applied as much braking as could safely be done to bring the plane to a quick and final stop. Fortunately we were able to walk away from this incident with only frazzled nerves and an education. Upon closer investigation, it was found that the aircraft had only a 49 gallon usable fuel capacity which was appropriately labeled on the fuel selector valve. The many lessons that I have learned will never be forgotten. I will never again make or take any assumptions off the ground!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS FORCED TO LAND OFF ARPT WHEN THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: MYSELF AND MY WIFE, WHO IS ALSO A PVT PLT, AND 2 FRIENDS WERE PLANNING A WKEND VFR TRIP FROM LAWRENCEVILLE, GA, TO GULFPORT, MS. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN A CLUB CESSNA 172XP WHICH HAS 66 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL CAPACITY. ON THIS PARTICULAR SATURDAY, THE CLUB PLANE HAD ALREADY BEEN RESERVED BY ANOTHER MEMBER SO WE OPTED TO RENT A SIMILAR 172XP FROM OUR LCL FLT SCHOOL. AFTER COMPLETING THE RENTAL AGREEMENT, WE WERE INFORMED BY THE SCHOOL'S OWNER, AND BY MY INSTRUCTOR, THAT THE RENTAL 172XP HAD 66 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL CAPACITY AND THAT IT HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR 1.2 HRS SINCE BEING REFUELED. BASED ON MY CALCULATED TIME ENRTE OF 3.8 HRS, A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL IN THE TANKS, AND USING AN AVERAGE FUEL BURN OF 10 GALLONS PER HR CRUISE, I DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITH AMPLE RESERVE.APPROX 40 MI FROM GULFPORT-BILOXI REGIONAL ARPT, I STARTED A SLOW DSCNT FROM 8500 FT, LEVELING AT APPROX 2000 FT 12 MI OUT. I HAD BEEN UTILIZING FLT FOLLOWING FROM MOBILE AND BY THEN GULFPORT APCH SO I ALREADY HAD MY XPONDER TUNED TO AN APPROPRIATE UNIQUE SQUAWK CODE. WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND AN INDICATION OF 1/8 TANK STILL SHOWN ON THE L FUEL GAUGE, THE ENG QUIT. I IMMEDIATELY FOUND THE PROPER GS OF 70 KTS AND LOCATED A FIELD FOR AN EMER LNDG. I DECLARED AN EMER AT XX46 PM LCL TIME AND FOLLOWED THE EMER PROCS THAT I HAD BEEN TAUGHT THROUGH FLT TRAINING. I VERIFIED EVERY SETTING IN THE COCKPIT TWICE AND PREPARED FOR LNDG. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE EMER PROCS, WE LOCATED A ROAD MORE SUITABLE FOR A FORCED LNDG AND TURNED THE ACFT IN THE PROPER DIRECTION. CLRING A PWR LINE BY 20 FT, AND LNDG UNDER 2 ADDITIONAL ONES, I WAS DOWN ON THE ROAD'S CTRLINE WITH EMER VEHICLES VISIBLE JUST A SHORT DISTANCE AHEAD. I APPLIED AS MUCH BRAKING AS COULD SAFELY BE DONE TO BRING THE PLANE TO A QUICK AND FINAL STOP. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS INCIDENT WITH ONLY FRAZZLED NERVES AND AN EDUCATION. UPON CLOSER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ACFT HAD ONLY A 49 GALLON USABLE FUEL CAPACITY WHICH WAS APPROPRIATELY LABELED ON THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE. THE MANY LESSONS THAT I HAVE LEARNED WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. I WILL NEVER AGAIN MAKE OR TAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS OFF THE GND!

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.