C175 pilot has engine surge, fuel gauges become inoperative, engine failure. Divert land.

Attributes
ACN	343303
Time
Date	199608
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mwc
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 745 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mke
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	343303
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Pwk-egv: engine surging slightly. Egv: engine surge getting worse, worried about fuel consumption, leaned out to best economy but both fuel gauges went inoperative. In flight looking for FBO that's still open, closest place mke. On approach to runway 1L, engine quit from fuel starvation. Landed safely at timmerman and waited until they opened. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there was no problem with the engine. The fuel gauges were the problem, but have since been repaired and aircraft is in service. This was a nighttime flight and few fbos were open. They were calling ahead to find one that was and had fuel available. No follow up of any kind. Once they reported that they were safe on the ground, no one took any further interest. They went to a nearby diner and waited for the FBO to open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C175 PLT HAS ENG SURGE, FUEL GAUGES BECOME INOP, ENG FAILURE. DIVERT LAND.

Narrative: PWK-EGV: ENG SURGING SLIGHTLY. EGV: ENG SURGE GETTING WORSE, WORRIED ABOUT FUEL CONSUMPTION, LEANED OUT TO BEST ECONOMY BUT BOTH FUEL GAUGES WENT INOP. IN FLT LOOKING FOR FBO THAT'S STILL OPEN, CLOSEST PLACE MKE. ON APCH TO RWY 1L, ENG QUIT FROM FUEL STARVATION. LANDED SAFELY AT TIMMERMAN AND WAITED UNTIL THEY OPENED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THE ENG. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE THE PROB, BUT HAVE SINCE BEEN REPAIRED AND ACFT IS IN SVC. THIS WAS A NIGHTTIME FLT AND FEW FBOS WERE OPEN. THEY WERE CALLING AHEAD TO FIND ONE THAT WAS AND HAD FUEL AVAILABLE. NO FOLLOW UP OF ANY KIND. ONCE THEY RPTED THAT THEY WERE SAFE ON THE GND, NO ONE TOOK ANY FURTHER INTEREST. THEY WENT TO A NEARBY DINER AND WAITED FOR THE FBO TO OPEN.

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.