Narrative:

I fly metropolitan traffic every weekday morning. We visually confirm car accidents, delays, backups, etc, to a ground base who then disseminates it to various radio stations. We are normally off the ground by XA00 am and normally fly for 2 hours. This day we were running a few mins late, and our fuel truck was not working at the time. We had 12-15 gals usable, shown by dipping the tank. Looking in the manual at 2000 ft at 55 percent power, 2000 RPM, we would burn approximately 4.1 gph with approximately 3 to 3 1/2 hours of flight time. The flight went normally and with approximately 1.8 hours under our belt we were preparing to land. At this point our ground base asked us to check out one last accident approximately 35 NM west of the airport. As we still had ample time to complete this side trip, we went. As we started our leg back from the scene, the motor began to spit and cough. Although technically we still had ample time, I knew it was fuel starvation. We went through emergency procedures trying to coax a little more fuel out, but it wouldn't come. We set it down on the eastbound side of the freeway without incident. Even though I thought the calculations were correct and by all accounts we should have had enough fuel for the trip, I let my lateness and the broken fuel truck and the need to get the job done, push myself into a situation I shouldn't have and didn't want to be in.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT AND TFC RPTR HAD THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE PLT MANAGED TO LAND THE ACFT ON A FREEWAY WITHOUT INJURY OR DAMAGE. OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I FLY METRO TFC EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING. WE VISUALLY CONFIRM CAR ACCIDENTS, DELAYS, BACKUPS, ETC, TO A GND BASE WHO THEN DISSEMINATES IT TO VARIOUS RADIO STATIONS. WE ARE NORMALLY OFF THE GND BY XA00 AM AND NORMALLY FLY FOR 2 HRS. THIS DAY WE WERE RUNNING A FEW MINS LATE, AND OUR FUEL TRUCK WAS NOT WORKING AT THE TIME. WE HAD 12-15 GALS USABLE, SHOWN BY DIPPING THE TANK. LOOKING IN THE MANUAL AT 2000 FT AT 55 PERCENT PWR, 2000 RPM, WE WOULD BURN APPROX 4.1 GPH WITH APPROX 3 TO 3 1/2 HRS OF FLT TIME. THE FLT WENT NORMALLY AND WITH APPROX 1.8 HRS UNDER OUR BELT WE WERE PREPARING TO LAND. AT THIS POINT OUR GND BASE ASKED US TO CHK OUT ONE LAST ACCIDENT APPROX 35 NM W OF THE ARPT. AS WE STILL HAD AMPLE TIME TO COMPLETE THIS SIDE TRIP, WE WENT. AS WE STARTED OUR LEG BACK FROM THE SCENE, THE MOTOR BEGAN TO SPIT AND COUGH. ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY WE STILL HAD AMPLE TIME, I KNEW IT WAS FUEL STARVATION. WE WENT THROUGH EMER PROCS TRYING TO COAX A LITTLE MORE FUEL OUT, BUT IT WOULDN'T COME. WE SET IT DOWN ON THE EBOUND SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT THE CALCULATIONS WERE CORRECT AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP, I LET MY LATENESS AND THE BROKEN FUEL TRUCK AND THE NEED TO GET THE JOB DONE, PUSH MYSELF INTO A SIT I SHOULDN'T HAVE AND DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN.

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.