A GA pilot plans a flight near the normal cruise limit for the cessna 150, encounters headwinds and ...

Attributes
ACN	330926
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gck
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 106 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	330926
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route to garden city from anthony via elkhart with full fuel. Planned to have a 1 hour fuel reserve upon reaching garden city. Reached turbulence after departing anthony and used a full power setting to maintain an IAS of 105 mph. About 1 mi south of the gck runway the engine's RPM started dropping. I did restart procedures and by the time I completed them the engine had stopped. I then made an approach to land in a pasture 1/2 mi south of the runway. I started the approach to the pasture at 1000 ft AGL with a left base leg. I made the final approach at 500 ft AGL and proceeded to do shutdown procedures. I held the aircraft off the ground as long as possible to make the slowest ground speed. Upon landing the aircraft it rolled about 10 ft to a stop. No damage was done to the aircraft or property. I was not hurt and felt I could fly the aircraft back to salina. After the aircraft was towed to a hangar and inspected by a mechanic, I flew the aircraft back to salina. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter admitted that he used full power in turbulence and strong headwinds over part of the flight from any to gck. He said that he had planned the flight to last about 3 hours and the tanks held 3 hours and 40 mins of fuel. The flight was planned at normal cruise settings. After the engine quit and he landed in the pasture, the reporter said that he called the unicom and told them that he was ok and requested assistance with the aircraft. After the mechanic finished his inspection the reporter said that he called the FBO and told them what had happened. The FAA inspector told him that this was an incident and that no further action was pending and the reporter has heard nothing more from them. The FBO inspected the aircraft for possible damage and checked the fuel consumption rate which turned out to be higher than planned according to the reporter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PLT PLANS A FLT NEAR THE NORMAL CRUISE LIMIT FOR THE CESSNA 150, ENCOUNTERS HEADWINDS AND TURB, AND THEN USES HIGHER THAN NORMAL PWR SETTINGS AND RUNS OUT OF FUEL NEAR HIS DEST.

Narrative: ENRTE TO GARDEN CITY FROM ANTHONY VIA ELKHART WITH FULL FUEL. PLANNED TO HAVE A 1 HR FUEL RESERVE UPON REACHING GARDEN CITY. REACHED TURB AFTER DEPARTING ANTHONY AND USED A FULL PWR SETTING TO MAINTAIN AN IAS OF 105 MPH. ABOUT 1 MI S OF THE GCK RWY THE ENG'S RPM STARTED DROPPING. I DID RESTART PROCS AND BY THE TIME I COMPLETED THEM THE ENG HAD STOPPED. I THEN MADE AN APCH TO LAND IN A PASTURE 1/2 MI S OF THE RWY. I STARTED THE APCH TO THE PASTURE AT 1000 FT AGL WITH A L BASE LEG. I MADE THE FINAL APCH AT 500 FT AGL AND PROCEEDED TO DO SHUTDOWN PROCS. I HELD THE ACFT OFF THE GND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE SLOWEST GND SPD. UPON LNDG THE ACFT IT ROLLED ABOUT 10 FT TO A STOP. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY. I WAS NOT HURT AND FELT I COULD FLY THE ACFT BACK TO SALINA. AFTER THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO A HANGAR AND INSPECTED BY A MECH, I FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO SALINA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADMITTED THAT HE USED FULL PWR IN TURB AND STRONG HEADWINDS OVER PART OF THE FLT FROM ANY TO GCK. HE SAID THAT HE HAD PLANNED THE FLT TO LAST ABOUT 3 HRS AND THE TANKS HELD 3 HRS AND 40 MINS OF FUEL. THE FLT WAS PLANNED AT NORMAL CRUISE SETTINGS. AFTER THE ENG QUIT AND HE LANDED IN THE PASTURE, THE RPTR SAID THAT HE CALLED THE UNICOM AND TOLD THEM THAT HE WAS OK AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH THE ACFT. AFTER THE MECH FINISHED HIS INSPECTION THE RPTR SAID THAT HE CALLED THE FBO AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE FAA INSPECTOR TOLD HIM THAT THIS WAS AN INCIDENT AND THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WAS PENDING AND THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM THEM. THE FBO INSPECTED THE ACFT FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE AND CHKED THE FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE HIGHER THAN PLANNED ACCORDING TO THE RPTR.

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.

A GA pilot plans a flight near the normal cruise limit for the cessna 150, encounters headwinds and turbulence, and then uses higher than normal power settings and runs out of fuel near his destination.