Small aircraft with instructor and spi runs out of gas.

Attributes
ACN	295078
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sun
Place
Locale Reference	airport : env
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	295078
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a preflight inspection before a flight from elko to ogden I told my student not to open the fuel caps but just to make sure they were tight, there was snow and water on the wings and I didn't want it in the tanks. We knew that we had plenty of fuel for the trip (supposedly) because we landed with well over half tanks the night before and the fuel gauges showed fuel in the tanks. As we passed wendover on the way to ogden, my student commented on the low fuel reading from the gauges -- I told him not to worry about it because the gauges are always profoundly inaccurate. At approximately 30 mi east of wendover I noticed that the fuel gauges were 'pegged' on empty. I told my student that we would run on the left tank for a while just to get an idea of how much fuel is really in the tanks (comparing left to right because they were about even). About 30 seconds after I switched from 'both' to 'left' the engine quit, so I immediately headed back toward wendover with the engine running on 'both.' I followed a dirt maintenance road back into wendover but prepared to land on the dirt road. The engine was beginning to 'miss' during the last couple of mins so I elected to land on the closed runway 21 rather than taking the chance on not making the runway by setting up a pattern for runway 30. I knew that the condition of the runway was suitable for landing a light plane and I also knew that there was no construction going on because it was clear just mins before when I passed the airport. I still do not know what really happened to our fuel. It could have been tampered with in elko or maybe my student incorrectly measured it on the preflight to elko. I have learned that in the future, I will personally check the fuel quantity (and other basic preflight actions) instead of taking solely my student's word on it. Also I have learned that I must complete at least a 'walk around' check including visual of the fuel for even the shortest stopover -- even if its 5 mins long. This situation won't happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA WITH INSTRUCTOR AND SPI RUNS OUT OF GAS.

Narrative: DURING A PREFLT INSPECTION BEFORE A FLT FROM ELKO TO OGDEN I TOLD MY STUDENT NOT TO OPEN THE FUEL CAPS BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE TIGHT, THERE WAS SNOW AND WATER ON THE WINGS AND I DIDN'T WANT IT IN THE TANKS. WE KNEW THAT WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL FOR THE TRIP (SUPPOSEDLY) BECAUSE WE LANDED WITH WELL OVER HALF TANKS THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED FUEL IN THE TANKS. AS WE PASSED WENDOVER ON THE WAY TO OGDEN, MY STUDENT COMMENTED ON THE LOW FUEL READING FROM THE GAUGES -- I TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE GAUGES ARE ALWAYS PROFOUNDLY INACCURATE. AT APPROX 30 MI E OF WENDOVER I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE 'PEGGED' ON EMPTY. I TOLD MY STUDENT THAT WE WOULD RUN ON THE L TANK FOR A WHILE JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH FUEL IS REALLY IN THE TANKS (COMPARING L TO R BECAUSE THEY WERE ABOUT EVEN). ABOUT 30 SECONDS AFTER I SWITCHED FROM 'BOTH' TO 'L' THE ENG QUIT, SO I IMMEDIATELY HEADED BACK TOWARD WENDOVER WITH THE ENG RUNNING ON 'BOTH.' I FOLLOWED A DIRT MAINT ROAD BACK INTO WENDOVER BUT PREPARED TO LAND ON THE DIRT ROAD. THE ENG WAS BEGINNING TO 'MISS' DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF MINS SO I ELECTED TO LAND ON THE CLOSED RWY 21 RATHER THAN TAKING THE CHANCE ON NOT MAKING THE RWY BY SETTING UP A PATTERN FOR RWY 30. I KNEW THAT THE CONDITION OF THE RWY WAS SUITABLE FOR LNDG A LIGHT PLANE AND I ALSO KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO CONSTRUCTION GOING ON BECAUSE IT WAS CLR JUST MINS BEFORE WHEN I PASSED THE ARPT. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO OUR FUEL. IT COULD HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH IN ELKO OR MAYBE MY STUDENT INCORRECTLY MEASURED IT ON THE PREFLT TO ELKO. I HAVE LEARNED THAT IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PERSONALLY CHK THE FUEL QUANTITY (AND OTHER BASIC PREFLT ACTIONS) INSTEAD OF TAKING SOLELY MY STUDENT'S WORD ON IT. ALSO I HAVE LEARNED THAT I MUST COMPLETE AT LEAST A 'WALK AROUND' CHK INCLUDING VISUAL OF THE FUEL FOR EVEN THE SHORTEST STOPOVER -- EVEN IF ITS 5 MINS LONG. THIS SIT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.