Narrative:

Cessna 152 departed bluefield, wv, at XA30 with approximately 22.5 gallons of usable fuel. Climbed to cruising altitude of 8500 ft MSL and proceeded ssw on return to stone mountain. Encountered building convection around johnson city, tn, and diverted to the west. Around knoxville climbed to 10500 ft and headed due south to the young harris VOR. Recognized that fuel was getting low and called into blairsville with no response (XD15). Fuel gauges read at 4 gallons remaining above red line, so I decided to go into gainesville. Visibility at that time was at 4 mi in haze. I did not see lumpkin county airport, but thought once I got to lake lanier, gvl would be pretty easy to spot. I called into gvl unicom for a TA and started my descent. Less than 2 mins after talking to gvl, I felt a small drop in power, this happened again about 20 seconds later. That's when I started looking around just in case I wasn't going to make it in. About 1 min later, the engine began to sputter. I started emergency checklist and called back in to gvl, 00A overheard my transmission. I had cleared the lake by this time, but I did not see the city of gainesville or the airport. There was a town but it didn't appear to be gainesville. I spotted the field in which I landed and headed in that direction. I was already in communication with gvl and 00A so I did not activate my transponder. I was able to perform an abbreviated traffic pattern and did a soft field landing in a mowed 12 ft strip that someone had conveniently mowed some 3000 ft. There was no damage to the aircraft or my person. I reviewed the events with several findings. My fuel burn was significantly higher than I expected because of climbs and diversion secondary to WX. I probably should have landed at blairsville with the airport in sight even without a response. I should not have relied on fuel gauges when fuel was so low. I must have flown directly over lumpkin county and missed it completely. The lake portion that I flew over was the part east of cumming and the town I couldn't recognize must have been buford, this caused my not being able to see gainesville 7 mi to the east. Everything turned out without damage to myself or the aircraft. I attribute the good outcome to my instructor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION LEADS TO AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: CESSNA 152 DEPARTED BLUEFIELD, WV, AT XA30 WITH APPROX 22.5 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL. CLBED TO CRUISING ALT OF 8500 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED SSW ON RETURN TO STONE MOUNTAIN. ENCOUNTERED BUILDING CONVECTION AROUND JOHNSON CITY, TN, AND DIVERTED TO THE W. AROUND KNOXVILLE CLBED TO 10500 FT AND HEADED DUE S TO THE YOUNG HARRIS VOR. RECOGNIZED THAT FUEL WAS GETTING LOW AND CALLED INTO BLAIRSVILLE WITH NO RESPONSE (XD15). FUEL GAUGES READ AT 4 GALLONS REMAINING ABOVE RED LINE, SO I DECIDED TO GO INTO GAINESVILLE. VISIBILITY AT THAT TIME WAS AT 4 MI IN HAZE. I DID NOT SEE LUMPKIN COUNTY ARPT, BUT THOUGHT ONCE I GOT TO LAKE LANIER, GVL WOULD BE PRETTY EASY TO SPOT. I CALLED INTO GVL UNICOM FOR A TA AND STARTED MY DSCNT. LESS THAN 2 MINS AFTER TALKING TO GVL, I FELT A SMALL DROP IN PWR, THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER. THAT'S WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AROUND JUST IN CASE I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT IN. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I STARTED EMER CHKLIST AND CALLED BACK IN TO GVL, 00A OVERHEARD MY XMISSION. I HAD CLRED THE LAKE BY THIS TIME, BUT I DID NOT SEE THE CITY OF GAINESVILLE OR THE ARPT. THERE WAS A TOWN BUT IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE GAINESVILLE. I SPOTTED THE FIELD IN WHICH I LANDED AND HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION. I WAS ALREADY IN COM WITH GVL AND 00A SO I DID NOT ACTIVATE MY XPONDER. I WAS ABLE TO PERFORM AN ABBREVIATED TFC PATTERN AND DID A SOFT FIELD LNDG IN A MOWED 12 FT STRIP THAT SOMEONE HAD CONVENIENTLY MOWED SOME 3000 FT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR MY PERSON. I REVIEWED THE EVENTS WITH SEVERAL FINDINGS. MY FUEL BURN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN I EXPECTED BECAUSE OF CLBS AND DIVERSION SECONDARY TO WX. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT BLAIRSVILLE WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT EVEN WITHOUT A RESPONSE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE RELIED ON FUEL GAUGES WHEN FUEL WAS SO LOW. I MUST HAVE FLOWN DIRECTLY OVER LUMPKIN COUNTY AND MISSED IT COMPLETELY. THE LAKE PORTION THAT I FLEW OVER WAS THE PART E OF CUMMING AND THE TOWN I COULDN'T RECOGNIZE MUST HAVE BEEN BUFORD, THIS CAUSED MY NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE GAINESVILLE 7 MI TO THE E. EVERYTHING TURNED OUT WITHOUT DAMAGE TO MYSELF OR THE ACFT. I ATTRIBUTE THE GOOD OUTCOME TO MY INSTRUCTOR.

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.