Small aircraft fuel exhaustion led to forced landing and aircraft damage. The pilot had encountered ...

Attributes
ACN	328758
Time
Date	199602
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ful
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ful
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	328758
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

An off-field forced landing was necessary due to loss of power and full engine stoppage while on short final approach to runway 24 at ful. The engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The first indication of critical low fuel occurred approximately 5 mi from the airport. I rapidly switched tanks and activated the fuel pump boost switches and was able to restart the engine. Flight continued and the engine once again lost power and died approximately 1/2 mi from the runway. I attempted a restart and was unsuccessful. I attempted to glide to a dead- stick landing at the airport but did not have enough altitude to make the field. The plane was near a full stall. I nosed the plane into a nose low attitude and looked for a place to land. I found a small, triangular piece of vacant land and landed with gear down. The rollout included hitting fence with the left wing. The plane then turned 90 degrees to the left and skidded on its nose until coming to a stop on the main gear. All occupants exited the plane under their own power and had no injuries. No fire resulted. Pilot had very little time (10 hours or less) in the airplane type, model, and specific aircraft. Strong headwinds, broken WX conditions on approach resulted in more flight time. Pilot failed to 'top off' when he fueled prior to departure, and pilot failed to accommodate for contingencies.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FUEL EXHAUSTION LED TO FORCED LNDG AND ACFT DAMAGE. THE PLT HAD ENCOUNTERED CONDITIONS THAT LENGTHENED FLT TIME, BUT DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE FUEL CRITICALITY UNTIL ENG QUIT, 5 NM FROM THE ARPT. FUEL EXHAUSTION. EMER. FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: AN OFF-FIELD FORCED LNDG WAS NECESSARY DUE TO LOSS OF PWR AND FULL ENG STOPPAGE WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APCH TO RWY 24 AT FUL. THE ENG LOST PWR DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE FIRST INDICATION OF CRITICAL LOW FUEL OCCURRED APPROX 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. I RAPIDLY SWITCHED TANKS AND ACTIVATED THE FUEL PUMP BOOST SWITCHES AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENG. FLT CONTINUED AND THE ENG ONCE AGAIN LOST PWR AND DIED APPROX 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY. I ATTEMPTED A RESTART AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO A DEAD- STICK LNDG AT THE ARPT BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ALT TO MAKE THE FIELD. THE PLANE WAS NEAR A FULL STALL. I NOSED THE PLANE INTO A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I FOUND A SMALL, TRIANGULAR PIECE OF VACANT LAND AND LANDED WITH GEAR DOWN. THE ROLLOUT INCLUDED HITTING FENCE WITH THE L WING. THE PLANE THEN TURNED 90 DEGS TO THE L AND SKIDDED ON ITS NOSE UNTIL COMING TO A STOP ON THE MAIN GEAR. ALL OCCUPANTS EXITED THE PLANE UNDER THEIR OWN PWR AND HAD NO INJURIES. NO FIRE RESULTED. PLT HAD VERY LITTLE TIME (10 HRS OR LESS) IN THE AIRPLANE TYPE, MODEL, AND SPECIFIC ACFT. STRONG HEADWINDS, BROKEN WX CONDITIONS ON APCH RESULTED IN MORE FLT TIME. PLT FAILED TO 'TOP OFF' WHEN HE FUELED PRIOR TO DEP, AND PLT FAILED TO ACCOMMODATE FOR CONTINGENCIES.

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.

Small aircraft fuel exhaustion led to forced landing and aircraft damage. The pilot had encountered conditions that lengthened flight time, but did not recognize the fuel criticality until engine quit, 5 NM from the airport. Fuel exhaustion. Emergency. Forced landing.