Narrative:

While towing an aerial banner (from an airport 38SM south), I had just arrived in the vicinity of the target site 1000 ft AGL within a residential area and had advised the tower controller that I was 'on site.' after slowing down and starting a turn, the engine quit. I headed the aircraft for a previously noted clear area, but lost altitude quickly as I had elected to tow the banner clear of houses. After releasing the banner in an open field while attempting an unsuccessful engine restart (magnetos, boost pump, tank shift, etc) I forced landed straight ahead on a road intersection adjacent to a new construction area, coming to a stop on the median strip approximately 100 ft from the intersection. Since there appeared to be 3 or 4 construction workers working on a sidewalk to my right, I tried to land short, blowing both main tires and damaging the propeller. No other harm was done to any persons or property. After checking the aircraft, I notified the iad tower via a cellular phone that I was on the ground. An officer of the road and land development firm availed me a truck, which was used to tow the aircraft approximately 300 yards down the median strip to an unused section of new road, after which a va state trooper and an FAA inspector made their reports. Following a cursory inspection of the aircraft with the FAA inspector, it seemed likely that I had inadvertently exhausted the fuel in the left (main) tank, while thinking I was operating on the right (auxiliary) tank. Prior to takeoff I had checked fuel aboard and determined that the right tank was full (approximately 20 gals), and the left was approximately half full by sight and mechanical (float) gages, and had wrongly selected the main tank. Since startup, the engine had been running approximately 1 hour. Unless in the near future I discover a more appropriate scenario, I've concluded that only complacency and inattn led me to this embarrassing and expensive mistake. Normally I'm towing longer duration banners (3-3 1/2 hours in the air) and watching the times and gages like a hawk. I intend to start using an 'arrival on site' checklist (not really much different from a prior to landing list, which I always use) in the hope of averting another foolish mistake. As in all flying, sometimes the excitement of completing the intended mission, coupled with the necessary distrs of navigation, communication, system management, etc, can lead one to overlook a very critical item. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA investigated this incident at the scene and concluded that he had inadvertently not switched fuel tanks in sufficient time to restart the engine after it had run out of fuel on the other tank. He was issued a letter of reprimand by the FAA for inadequate preflight in-flight planning and operation of the aircraft fuel system. In doing so, he endangered the lives and property of others.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL BANNER TOWING ACFT MADE AN EMER LNDG OFF ARPT AFTER THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: WHILE TOWING AN AERIAL BANNER (FROM AN ARPT 38SM S), I HAD JUST ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE TARGET SITE 1000 FT AGL WITHIN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND HAD ADVISED THE TWR CTLR THAT I WAS 'ON SITE.' AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND STARTING A TURN, THE ENG QUIT. I HEADED THE ACFT FOR A PREVIOUSLY NOTED CLR AREA, BUT LOST ALT QUICKLY AS I HAD ELECTED TO TOW THE BANNER CLR OF HOUSES. AFTER RELEASING THE BANNER IN AN OPEN FIELD WHILE ATTEMPTING AN UNSUCCESSFUL ENG RESTART (MAGNETOS, BOOST PUMP, TANK SHIFT, ETC) I FORCED LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A ROAD INTXN ADJACENT TO A NEW CONSTRUCTION AREA, COMING TO A STOP ON THE MEDIAN STRIP APPROX 100 FT FROM THE INTXN. SINCE THERE APPEARED TO BE 3 OR 4 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON A SIDEWALK TO MY R, I TRIED TO LAND SHORT, BLOWING BOTH MAIN TIRES AND DAMAGING THE PROP. NO OTHER HARM WAS DONE TO ANY PERSONS OR PROPERTY. AFTER CHKING THE ACFT, I NOTIFIED THE IAD TWR VIA A CELLULAR PHONE THAT I WAS ON THE GND. AN OFFICER OF THE ROAD AND LAND DEVELOPMENT FIRM AVAILED ME A TRUCK, WHICH WAS USED TO TOW THE ACFT APPROX 300 YARDS DOWN THE MEDIAN STRIP TO AN UNUSED SECTION OF NEW ROAD, AFTER WHICH A VA STATE TROOPER AND AN FAA INSPECTOR MADE THEIR RPTS. FOLLOWING A CURSORY INSPECTION OF THE ACFT WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR, IT SEEMED LIKELY THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY EXHAUSTED THE FUEL IN THE L (MAIN) TANK, WHILE THINKING I WAS OPERATING ON THE R (AUX) TANK. PRIOR TO TKOF I HAD CHKED FUEL ABOARD AND DETERMINED THAT THE R TANK WAS FULL (APPROX 20 GALS), AND THE L WAS APPROX HALF FULL BY SIGHT AND MECHANICAL (FLOAT) GAGES, AND HAD WRONGLY SELECTED THE MAIN TANK. SINCE STARTUP, THE ENG HAD BEEN RUNNING APPROX 1 HR. UNLESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE I DISCOVER A MORE APPROPRIATE SCENARIO, I'VE CONCLUDED THAT ONLY COMPLACENCY AND INATTN LED ME TO THIS EMBARRASSING AND EXPENSIVE MISTAKE. NORMALLY I'M TOWING LONGER DURATION BANNERS (3-3 1/2 HRS IN THE AIR) AND WATCHING THE TIMES AND GAGES LIKE A HAWK. I INTEND TO START USING AN 'ARR ON SITE' CHKLIST (NOT REALLY MUCH DIFFERENT FROM A PRIOR TO LNDG LIST, WHICH I ALWAYS USE) IN THE HOPE OF AVERTING ANOTHER FOOLISH MISTAKE. AS IN ALL FLYING, SOMETIMES THE EXCITEMENT OF COMPLETING THE INTENDED MISSION, COUPLED WITH THE NECESSARY DISTRS OF NAV, COM, SYS MGMNT, ETC, CAN LEAD ONE TO OVERLOOK A VERY CRITICAL ITEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT AT THE SCENE AND CONCLUDED THAT HE HAD INADVERTENTLY NOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO RESTART THE ENG AFTER IT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE OTHER TANK. HE WAS ISSUED A LETTER OF REPRIMAND BY THE FAA FOR INADEQUATE PREFLT INFLT PLANNING AND OP OF THE ACFT FUEL SYS. IN DOING SO, HE ENDANGERED THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF OTHERS.

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.