Narrative:

An off-airport landing was made on a missouri state highway after engine stoppage suspected to be due to fuel exhaustion. The initial flight was planned to be VFR day from ponca city, ok, to vinita, ok, and return. Upon landing at vinita, it was determined that the field was unattended and the decision was made to proceed to neosho, mo to refuel. A series of events contributed to the fuel exhaustion situation: 1) stronger than expected south winds which resulted in off- course headings, 2) the neosho, mo, VOR was OTS and no other vors were available within reception range at the altitudes normal for this trip. These 2 factors resulted in disorientation, but the most important factor in this incident was the lack of proper fuel planning. The aircraft burns approximately 5 gals per hour at cruise this should have allowed sufficient fuel to reach my destination. While I was taught and recognize the importance of not relying on the fuel gauges, I had neglected to consider in my calculations a short local check-out flight made earlier that morning. Therefore, my calculated reserves were quickly exhausted while I searched unfamiliar terrain for landmarks in the neosho area. The important lessons I learned from this experience were to: 1) allow for longer than 'minimum' gas reserves, 2) never chance making the 'next' airport -- call out someone if needed, 3) pay closer attention to wind drift and landmarks and 4) properly account for all fuel burns including preliminary pattern work, touch and go's, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG AFTER THE ENG QUIT DUE FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: AN OFF-ARPT LNDG WAS MADE ON A MISSOURI STATE HWY AFTER ENG STOPPAGE SUSPECTED TO BE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE INITIAL FLT WAS PLANNED TO BE VFR DAY FROM PONCA CITY, OK, TO VINITA, OK, AND RETURN. UPON LNDG AT VINITA, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIELD WAS UNATTENDED AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO PROCEED TO NEOSHO, MO TO REFUEL. A SERIES OF EVENTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL EXHAUSTION SIT: 1) STRONGER THAN EXPECTED S WINDS WHICH RESULTED IN OFF- COURSE HDGS, 2) THE NEOSHO, MO, VOR WAS OTS AND NO OTHER VORS WERE AVAILABLE WITHIN RECEPTION RANGE AT THE ALTS NORMAL FOR THIS TRIP. THESE 2 FACTORS RESULTED IN DISORIENTATION, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF PROPER FUEL PLANNING. THE ACFT BURNS APPROX 5 GALS PER HR AT CRUISE THIS SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH MY DEST. WHILE I WAS TAUGHT AND RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT RELYING ON THE FUEL GAUGES, I HAD NEGLECTED TO CONSIDER IN MY CALCULATIONS A SHORT LCL CHK-OUT FLT MADE EARLIER THAT MORNING. THEREFORE, MY CALCULATED RESERVES WERE QUICKLY EXHAUSTED WHILE I SEARCHED UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN FOR LANDMARKS IN THE NEOSHO AREA. THE IMPORTANT LESSONS I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE WERE TO: 1) ALLOW FOR LONGER THAN 'MINIMUM' GAS RESERVES, 2) NEVER CHANCE MAKING THE 'NEXT' ARPT -- CALL OUT SOMEONE IF NEEDED, 3) PAY CLOSER ATTN TO WIND DRIFT AND LANDMARKS AND 4) PROPERLY ACCOUNT FOR ALL FUEL BURNS INCLUDING PRELIMINARY PATTERN WORK, TOUCH AND GO'S, ETC.

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.