Narrative:

The aircraft involved is a C210. My friends and I were going to go on a routine flight (for pleasure), which was to go to lvk (livermore) and from there a bay tour back to palo alto. One of the friends is the mechanic for that C210. When I got to the aircraft, I found it opened already. All of them were excited to go, so I started my preflight. When I got to the fuel I asked the mechanic if we had fuel. He assured me that yes, the owner always has it topped off, so yes we have plenty of fuel, so I just sumped all the tanks, did the rest of my preflight and went to verify the fuel level by turning on the master switch and observing the levels, which indeed indicated 'full.' we went to lvk and stopped there to go to the rest rooms. On the flight over I saw the city fogged in and told the passenger we'd be unable to do a bay tour. After doing another run up, we were on our way back to pao. I had been on the left tank the entire time and saw no need to switch tanks. I did some steep turns over niles canyon and fremont at 2700 ft and when I rolled out of a turn my engine quit. I hit full throttle, got a couple 100 RPM back and lost it all 10 seconds later. I made a mayday call to pao tower and informed them about my situation. I then went through the emergency procedures, by flow check and verified it by the checklist. Being unsuccessful I dropped gear and flaps when I knew the field was made and landed south of lake elizabeth in a field. There were no injuries and the plane had no damage to it. Only later did I find out the gauges were inoperative and there was only little fuel (25-30 gals on board -- 2/3 probably in the right tank, I was on the left when it quit) I don't know why it didn't restart again. How was I to know that the gauges were faulty and to my stupidity I trusted a mechanic friend who obviously was unaware of the fuel status. I know what my responsibilities of aircraft are, you can't trust anyone but yourself, no matter if it's a student checking it in front of you or a friend of yours. Do your own preflight, entirely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 HAS FUEL EXHAUSTION LANDS OFF ARPT.

Narrative: THE ACFT INVOLVED IS A C210. MY FRIENDS AND I WERE GOING TO GO ON A ROUTINE FLT (FOR PLEASURE), WHICH WAS TO GO TO LVK (LIVERMORE) AND FROM THERE A BAY TOUR BACK TO PALO ALTO. ONE OF THE FRIENDS IS THE MECH FOR THAT C210. WHEN I GOT TO THE ACFT, I FOUND IT OPENED ALREADY. ALL OF THEM WERE EXCITED TO GO, SO I STARTED MY PREFLT. WHEN I GOT TO THE FUEL I ASKED THE MECH IF WE HAD FUEL. HE ASSURED ME THAT YES, THE OWNER ALWAYS HAS IT TOPPED OFF, SO YES WE HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL, SO I JUST SUMPED ALL THE TANKS, DID THE REST OF MY PREFLT AND WENT TO VERIFY THE FUEL LEVEL BY TURNING ON THE MASTER SWITCH AND OBSERVING THE LEVELS, WHICH INDEED INDICATED 'FULL.' WE WENT TO LVK AND STOPPED THERE TO GO TO THE REST ROOMS. ON THE FLT OVER I SAW THE CITY FOGGED IN AND TOLD THE PAX WE'D BE UNABLE TO DO A BAY TOUR. AFTER DOING ANOTHER RUN UP, WE WERE ON OUR WAY BACK TO PAO. I HAD BEEN ON THE L TANK THE ENTIRE TIME AND SAW NO NEED TO SWITCH TANKS. I DID SOME STEEP TURNS OVER NILES CANYON AND FREMONT AT 2700 FT AND WHEN I ROLLED OUT OF A TURN MY ENG QUIT. I HIT FULL THROTTLE, GOT A COUPLE 100 RPM BACK AND LOST IT ALL 10 SECONDS LATER. I MADE A MAYDAY CALL TO PAO TWR AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT MY SIT. I THEN WENT THROUGH THE EMER PROCS, BY FLOW CHK AND VERIFIED IT BY THE CHKLIST. BEING UNSUCCESSFUL I DROPPED GEAR AND FLAPS WHEN I KNEW THE FIELD WAS MADE AND LANDED S OF LAKE ELIZABETH IN A FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE PLANE HAD NO DAMAGE TO IT. ONLY LATER DID I FIND OUT THE GAUGES WERE INOP AND THERE WAS ONLY LITTLE FUEL (25-30 GALS ON BOARD -- 2/3 PROBABLY IN THE R TANK, I WAS ON THE L WHEN IT QUIT) I DON'T KNOW WHY IT DIDN'T RESTART AGAIN. HOW WAS I TO KNOW THAT THE GAUGES WERE FAULTY AND TO MY STUPIDITY I TRUSTED A MECH FRIEND WHO OBVIOUSLY WAS UNAWARE OF THE FUEL STATUS. I KNOW WHAT MY RESPONSIBILITIES OF ACFT ARE, YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE BUT YOURSELF, NO MATTER IF IT'S A STUDENT CHKING IT IN FRONT OF YOU OR A FRIEND OF YOURS. DO YOUR OWN PREFLT, ENTIRELY.

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.