The reporter after buying a rare airplane makes a fuel consumption check and determines the fuel bur...

Attributes
ACN	329773
Time
Date	199602
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tcc
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15200 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	329773
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Several friends and I purchased a rare airplane and needed to move it back to st louis. Since I was new we brought a pilot for the previous owner to supervise. We all agreed on any plan of action prior to initiating it. The 1ST day I flew the plane from carlsbad, ca, to phx. To verify the aircraft performance I took engine readings, fuel burns, and oil consumption readings. The first leg data indicated a fuel burn of 64.28 gph which was very close to the 60 gph that the previous owner used and what the manufacturer's afm predicted. Since the aircraft holds 360 gals useable fuel, we decided that 5 hours/300 gals would be our maximum endurance. We planned a 500 SM/4 hour flight from phx to tucumcani, NM, on feb/tue/96 with an alternate plan to land in abq if we were over 3 hours aloft. Over abq we had been aloft for 2 1/2 hours (with 50 mins ground time) and only 1 hour to tucumcani, so we continued. Approximately 15 SM west of tcc at 7500 ft MSL the left engine began surging. I was in the right seat and directed the left seat pilot to get the previous owner into the left seat so we could handle the problem. A couple of mins after the left engine began surging the center engine did the same. Since the town was between us and the airport, we elected to do a precautionary landing on a dirt strip along I-40. When we began turning toward the strip the right engine began surging. We wound up making a precautionary landing on the median of highway 40 with no damage to the aircraft or crew. Upon examination we had no fuel on board. We got 100 gals from the airport, did an extremely thorough inspection, had a mechanic look at the left engine (first one to quit), and decided to fly to the airport along the highway. We flew to the airport in tucumcani, spent the night, and continued to st louis with an uneventful 2 more days of flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR AFTER BUYING A RARE AIRPLANE MAKES A FUEL CONSUMPTION CHK AND DETERMINES THE FUEL BURN IS 64 PT 28 GPH. WITH 360 GALS USABLE HE FIGURES HE CAN FLY 5 HRS SAFELY. THE RPTR RAN OUT OF FUEL AT 4 HRS AND 20 MINS AND LANDED ON THE MEDIAN OF THE HWY.

Narrative: SEVERAL FRIENDS AND I PURCHASED A RARE AIRPLANE AND NEEDED TO MOVE IT BACK TO ST LOUIS. SINCE I WAS NEW WE BROUGHT A PLT FOR THE PREVIOUS OWNER TO SUPERVISE. WE ALL AGREED ON ANY PLAN OF ACTION PRIOR TO INITIATING IT. THE 1ST DAY I FLEW THE PLANE FROM CARLSBAD, CA, TO PHX. TO VERIFY THE ACFT PERFORMANCE I TOOK ENG READINGS, FUEL BURNS, AND OIL CONSUMPTION READINGS. THE FIRST LEG DATA INDICATED A FUEL BURN OF 64.28 GPH WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE 60 GPH THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER USED AND WHAT THE MANUFACTURER'S AFM PREDICTED. SINCE THE ACFT HOLDS 360 GALS USEABLE FUEL, WE DECIDED THAT 5 HRS/300 GALS WOULD BE OUR MAX ENDURANCE. WE PLANNED A 500 SM/4 HR FLT FROM PHX TO TUCUMCANI, NM, ON FEB/TUE/96 WITH AN ALTERNATE PLAN TO LAND IN ABQ IF WE WERE OVER 3 HRS ALOFT. OVER ABQ WE HAD BEEN ALOFT FOR 2 1/2 HRS (WITH 50 MINS GND TIME) AND ONLY 1 HR TO TUCUMCANI, SO WE CONTINUED. APPROX 15 SM W OF TCC AT 7500 FT MSL THE L ENG BEGAN SURGING. I WAS IN THE R SEAT AND DIRECTED THE L SEAT PLT TO GET THE PREVIOUS OWNER INTO THE L SEAT SO WE COULD HANDLE THE PROB. A COUPLE OF MINS AFTER THE L ENG BEGAN SURGING THE CTR ENG DID THE SAME. SINCE THE TOWN WAS BTWN US AND THE ARPT, WE ELECTED TO DO A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A DIRT STRIP ALONG I-40. WHEN WE BEGAN TURNING TOWARD THE STRIP THE R ENG BEGAN SURGING. WE WOUND UP MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON THE MEDIAN OF HWY 40 WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR CREW. UPON EXAMINATION WE HAD NO FUEL ON BOARD. WE GOT 100 GALS FROM THE ARPT, DID AN EXTREMELY THOROUGH INSPECTION, HAD A MECH LOOK AT THE L ENG (FIRST ONE TO QUIT), AND DECIDED TO FLY TO THE ARPT ALONG THE HWY. WE FLEW TO THE ARPT IN TUCUMCANI, SPENT THE NIGHT, AND CONTINUED TO ST LOUIS WITH AN UNEVENTFUL 2 MORE DAYS OF FLYING.

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.

The reporter after buying a rare airplane makes a fuel consumption check and determines the fuel burn is 64 pt 28 gph. With 360 gals usable he figures he can fly 5 hours safely. The reporter ran out of fuel at 4 hours and 20 mins and landed on the median of the highway.