Narrative:

I was ferrying aircraft from 50F to mqy. Flight planning was for 8 gallons of fuel per hour per pilots operating handbook. Fuel stop was made in txk and trip was continued. Total planned time en route was 3:55 with a total fuel burn of 35 gallons to consider taxi/takeoff, etc. This would leave 13 gallons or approximately 1.4 hours of fuel remaining upon arrival at mqy. While approaching the ghm VOR, the engine quit operating while selected fuel was right tank. I switched to the left tank and notified pm at ZME of a 'critical fuel situation and the need to land immediately.' he vectored me to centerville airport for the VOR 2 approach and cleared me for the approach. I shot the approach and never made contact with the airport. I tried again and still could not see the airport. Later found out the communication select switch is intermittent and was not transmitting on CTAF so runway lights never came on. Finally had pm vector me since my nerves were shot at this point, changed radios and was able to activate and see the airport. Landing was uneventful. Had the aircraft refueled and it took 46.9 gallons. Usable is only 48 gallons for this model. Situation would have never occurred had I paid closer attention to the receipt from txk at the last fuel stop. Aircraft was using between 11 and 12 gallons of fuel per hour. Also since the fuel gauges were still indicating approximately 1/4 tanks, I didn't pay too much attention to them. As a CFI I am constantly telling students that the gauges are unreliable and to use flight time as a guide to determine how long they can stay aloft. Unfortunately in this situation, the aircraft was being ferried for a major overhaul due to tbo and weak performance. This happened after spending the better part of the in-flight light to moderate WX and extended periods of IMC flight. I was tired and just didn't expect the performance to deteriorate as bad as it did. The next time I ferry an 'unfamiliar aircraft' I had flown this aircraft approximately 12 months prior, I will plan an early fuel stop or 2 to determine fuel burn and modify my planning accordingly. The radios have been looked at already and there is a confirmed problem, the engine and carburetor are being torn down and inspected to determine the cause of poor performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ALMOST RAN OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: I WAS FERRYING ACFT FROM 50F TO MQY. FLT PLANNING WAS FOR 8 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HR PER PLTS OPERATING HANDBOOK. FUEL STOP WAS MADE IN TXK AND TRIP WAS CONTINUED. TOTAL PLANNED TIME ENRTE WAS 3:55 WITH A TOTAL FUEL BURN OF 35 GALLONS TO CONSIDER TAXI/TKOF, ETC. THIS WOULD LEAVE 13 GALLONS OR APPROX 1.4 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING UPON ARR AT MQY. WHILE APCHING THE GHM VOR, THE ENG QUIT OPERATING WHILE SELECTED FUEL WAS RIGHT TANK. I SWITCHED TO THE L TANK AND NOTIFIED PM AT ZME OF A 'CRITICAL FUEL SIT AND THE NEED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY.' HE VECTORED ME TO CENTERVILLE ARPT FOR THE VOR 2 APCH AND CLRED ME FOR THE APCH. I SHOT THE APCH AND NEVER MADE CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. I TRIED AGAIN AND STILL COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. LATER FOUND OUT THE COM SELECT SWITCH IS INTERMITTENT AND WAS NOT XMITTING ON CTAF SO RWY LIGHTS NEVER CAME ON. FINALLY HAD PM VECTOR ME SINCE MY NERVES WERE SHOT AT THIS POINT, CHANGED RADIOS AND WAS ABLE TO ACTIVATE AND SEE THE ARPT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. HAD THE ACFT REFUELED AND IT TOOK 46.9 GALLONS. USABLE IS ONLY 48 GALLONS FOR THIS MODEL. SIT WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED HAD I PAID CLOSER ATTN TO THE RECEIPT FROM TXK AT THE LAST FUEL STOP. ACFT WAS USING BTWN 11 AND 12 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HR. ALSO SINCE THE FUEL GAUGES WERE STILL INDICATING APPROX 1/4 TANKS, I DIDN'T PAY TOO MUCH ATTN TO THEM. AS A CFI I AM CONSTANTLY TELLING STUDENTS THAT THE GAUGES ARE UNRELIABLE AND TO USE FLT TIME AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE HOW LONG THEY CAN STAY ALOFT. UNFORTUNATELY IN THIS SIT, THE ACFT WAS BEING FERRIED FOR A MAJOR OVERHAUL DUE TO TBO AND WEAK PERFORMANCE. THIS HAPPENED AFTER SPENDING THE BETTER PART OF THE INFLT LIGHT TO MODERATE WX AND EXTENDED PERIODS OF IMC FLT. I WAS TIRED AND JUST DIDN'T EXPECT THE PERFORMANCE TO DETERIORATE AS BAD AS IT DID. THE NEXT TIME I FERRY AN 'UNFAMILIAR ACFT' I HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT APPROX 12 MONTHS PRIOR, I WILL PLAN AN EARLY FUEL STOP OR 2 TO DETERMINE FUEL BURN AND MODIFY MY PLANNING ACCORDINGLY. THE RADIOS HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT ALREADY AND THERE IS A CONFIRMED PROB, THE ENG AND CARB ARE BEING TORN DOWN AND INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF POOR PERFORMANCE.

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.