Off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	295316
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : far
State Reference	ND
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : far
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 5081 flight time type : 683
ASRS Report	295316
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Purchased 1961 A-33 beech st paul airport jan/xx/95. I took a familiarization flight local for .6 hours jan/xx/95. Jan/xx/95 filed IFR to MLS a start of trip to sns (home base). The WX lowered as I approached far. I decided to land at fargo and take my time checking WX to mi city and beyond. At 'panic' intersection, I switched to fargo approach and requested ILS approach. Fargo vectored me to intercept the ILS 35 approach course and cleared me from 4000-3000 ft then to 2800 ft (1800 ft AGL) I was 'cleared for the approach when established.' the engine failed -- I was on auxiliary tanks and so switched to left main and attempted to restart -- I did not activate the auxiliary fuel pump. I turned my attention to finding a place to land. I notified approach of my emergency. I decided to land on a snow covered flat field close to the highway. I made a dead stick, flaps up, gear up landing about 200 ft from the highway and parallel to it, notified approach I was down without injury. There is an engine analyzer with fuel management capabilities on board. It was not being used because 1 probe was inoperative causing it to continuously alarm. While I am not sure the auxiliary tank ran dry, I assume it was. The gauge read between 1/8 and 1/4 tank when it went dry and after landing. An FAA inspector said it read less than 1/8 from his position in the right seat. If the tank simply ran dry I believe the incident could have been avoided had the analyzer been in use. The failure to activate the auxiliary fuel pump was clearly pilot error alone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: PURCHASED 1961 A-33 BEECH ST PAUL ARPT JAN/XX/95. I TOOK A FAMILIARIZATION FLT LCL FOR .6 HRS JAN/XX/95. JAN/XX/95 FILED IFR TO MLS A START OF TRIP TO SNS (HOME BASE). THE WX LOWERED AS I APCHED FAR. I DECIDED TO LAND AT FARGO AND TAKE MY TIME CHKING WX TO MI CITY AND BEYOND. AT 'PANIC' INTXN, I SWITCHED TO FARGO APCH AND REQUESTED ILS APCH. FARGO VECTORED ME TO INTERCEPT THE ILS 35 APCH COURSE AND CLRED ME FROM 4000-3000 FT THEN TO 2800 FT (1800 FT AGL) I WAS 'CLRED FOR THE APCH WHEN ESTABLISHED.' THE ENG FAILED -- I WAS ON AUX TANKS AND SO SWITCHED TO L MAIN AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART -- I DID NOT ACTIVATE THE AUX FUEL PUMP. I TURNED MY ATTN TO FINDING A PLACE TO LAND. I NOTIFIED APCH OF MY EMER. I DECIDED TO LAND ON A SNOW COVERED FLAT FIELD CLOSE TO THE HWY. I MADE A DEAD STICK, FLAPS UP, GEAR UP LNDG ABOUT 200 FT FROM THE HWY AND PARALLEL TO IT, NOTIFIED APCH I WAS DOWN WITHOUT INJURY. THERE IS AN ENG ANALYZER WITH FUEL MGMNT CAPABILITIES ON BOARD. IT WAS NOT BEING USED BECAUSE 1 PROBE WAS INOP CAUSING IT TO CONTINUOUSLY ALARM. WHILE I AM NOT SURE THE AUX TANK RAN DRY, I ASSUME IT WAS. THE GAUGE READ BTWN 1/8 AND 1/4 TANK WHEN IT WENT DRY AND AFTER LNDG. AN FAA INSPECTOR SAID IT READ LESS THAN 1/8 FROM HIS POS IN THE R SEAT. IF THE TANK SIMPLY RAN DRY I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE ANALYZER BEEN IN USE. THE FAILURE TO ACTIVATE THE AUX FUEL PUMP WAS CLRLY PLT ERROR ALONE.

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.