Narrative:

En route from berryhill, GA, to clearwater executive, fl, I stopped for fuel at live oak (suwannee county airport), fl. I instructed lineman to put 10 gals 100 low lead in left tank only. I had dipped checked fuel in both tanks prior and determined that left tank was low. After dip checking both tanks I secured both fuel caps and waited for lineman. I came out of operations building and observed lineman up on ladder on right wing. I again told him 'left tank only.' he then went to left wing and I took hose and put the 10 gals as lineman called pump reading. I again secured left fuel cap and visually checked the right from the ladder, from the left side. I had no reason to believe the lineman had touched the right fuel cap, but evidently he had. At 59 mins into the flight, the engine quit and a forced landing was made in the dark onto a sand bar, in 6 inches of water. The aircraft was undamaged in the landing, and upon examination of aircraft, noted that right fuel cap was missing and no fuel in tank. When the engine quit, I checked fuel (it was on both) and declared an emergency to pie tower. I set up best rate of descent and headed for the shoreline. At 10 ft above water I opened doors, locked brakes and allowed aircraft to hydroplane for approximately 500 ft. As the aircraft was slowing down, I saw a tree and figured that the water was shallow. I continued to keep the nose up and aircraft settled to a gentle stop in 6 inches of water. During the descent, shoulder harnesses were secured and passenger was briefed on situation and emergency procedure. We remained with aircraft until coast guard helicopter arrived. We were winched up and returned to pie. There was no damage to the aircraft and no injuries to me or my passenger. From 2500 ft altitude, we glided approximately 4 1/2 mi to the landing. We ended up several hundred yards from shore on a sand bar. I suspect that the lineman started to open the right fuel cap before I stopped him. If I had seen him with his hand on the cap, I would have rechked it to make sure it was secure, but I didn't see him touch it and I know that I had secured it after dipping the tanks prior to the filling. I know that I had between 20 and 25 gals of fuel on board when I departed live oak. This was more than ample for the 1 hour and 10 min flight to clearwater. The cessna 177B which we have owned and flown for the past 3 yrs, and historically burns 10 gph and a 6 hour (no reserve) range with 60 total gal capacity, had ample fuel with reserve to make the flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG AFTER THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURIES.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM BERRYHILL, GA, TO CLEARWATER EXECUTIVE, FL, I STOPPED FOR FUEL AT LIVE OAK (SUWANNEE COUNTY ARPT), FL. I INSTRUCTED LINEMAN TO PUT 10 GALS 100 LOW LEAD IN L TANK ONLY. I HAD DIPPED CHKED FUEL IN BOTH TANKS PRIOR AND DETERMINED THAT L TANK WAS LOW. AFTER DIP CHKING BOTH TANKS I SECURED BOTH FUEL CAPS AND WAITED FOR LINEMAN. I CAME OUT OF OPS BUILDING AND OBSERVED LINEMAN UP ON LADDER ON R WING. I AGAIN TOLD HIM 'L TANK ONLY.' HE THEN WENT TO L WING AND I TOOK HOSE AND PUT THE 10 GALS AS LINEMAN CALLED PUMP READING. I AGAIN SECURED L FUEL CAP AND VISUALLY CHKED THE R FROM THE LADDER, FROM THE L SIDE. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THE LINEMAN HAD TOUCHED THE R FUEL CAP, BUT EVIDENTLY HE HAD. AT 59 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE ENG QUIT AND A FORCED LNDG WAS MADE IN THE DARK ONTO A SAND BAR, IN 6 INCHES OF WATER. THE ACFT WAS UNDAMAGED IN THE LNDG, AND UPON EXAMINATION OF ACFT, NOTED THAT R FUEL CAP WAS MISSING AND NO FUEL IN TANK. WHEN THE ENG QUIT, I CHKED FUEL (IT WAS ON BOTH) AND DECLARED AN EMER TO PIE TWR. I SET UP BEST RATE OF DSCNT AND HEADED FOR THE SHORELINE. AT 10 FT ABOVE WATER I OPENED DOORS, LOCKED BRAKES AND ALLOWED ACFT TO HYDROPLANE FOR APPROX 500 FT. AS THE ACFT WAS SLOWING DOWN, I SAW A TREE AND FIGURED THAT THE WATER WAS SHALLOW. I CONTINUED TO KEEP THE NOSE UP AND ACFT SETTLED TO A GENTLE STOP IN 6 INCHES OF WATER. DURING THE DSCNT, SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE SECURED AND PAX WAS BRIEFED ON SIT AND EMER PROC. WE REMAINED WITH ACFT UNTIL COAST GUARD HELI ARRIVED. WE WERE WINCHED UP AND RETURNED TO PIE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO INJURIES TO ME OR MY PAX. FROM 2500 FT ALT, WE GLIDED APPROX 4 1/2 MI TO THE LNDG. WE ENDED UP SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS FROM SHORE ON A SAND BAR. I SUSPECT THAT THE LINEMAN STARTED TO OPEN THE R FUEL CAP BEFORE I STOPPED HIM. IF I HAD SEEN HIM WITH HIS HAND ON THE CAP, I WOULD HAVE RECHKED IT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SECURE, BUT I DIDN'T SEE HIM TOUCH IT AND I KNOW THAT I HAD SECURED IT AFTER DIPPING THE TANKS PRIOR TO THE FILLING. I KNOW THAT I HAD BTWN 20 AND 25 GALS OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN I DEPARTED LIVE OAK. THIS WAS MORE THAN AMPLE FOR THE 1 HR AND 10 MIN FLT TO CLEARWATER. THE CESSNA 177B WHICH WE HAVE OWNED AND FLOWN FOR THE PAST 3 YRS, AND HISTORICALLY BURNS 10 GPH AND A 6 HR (NO RESERVE) RANGE WITH 60 TOTAL GAL CAPACITY, HAD AMPLE FUEL WITH RESERVE TO MAKE THE FLT.

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.