Narrative:

The essence of this report is that I ran out of fuel. What really caused the incident was pilot thoughtlessness. In preflight I saw roughly 1/2 tanks. I thought climb up in the air for 1 hour (my estimated time sight-seeing). After flying for about 40 mins, I had done the sight-seeing I planed, then said 'haven't been up here too long, I might as well keep going and see west point.' I did not check the fuel gauges. I realized, once over west point, that I was very low on gas, so I immediately turned down the hudson and towards my airport. Then I checked again, the gauges were really low. It looked like 3 gals, or one half hour of flight time. Close, so I looked for a closer airport, selected westchester county, and headed towards it. While in contact with westchester radar, I heard the first sputter, and soon the engine was no longer turning. I informed westchester that I was declaring an emergency, and that I would try to set the plane down on a nearby highway. I landed on the taconic parkway, no injuries to me (only occupant), no contact with any cars, no damage to the plane, which I steered off the highway onto the shoulder. Thoughts: the belief that a 'local' flight teb/local is a short one, that requires a bit less attention was incorrect. I had rejected the first plane the FBO suggested, because it had a large, previously unreported dent in the leading edge of 1 wing. I felt virtuous and cocky -- 'I am a cautious pilot,' which made me think, 'I can be less thorough.' the C152 also burns roughly 8 gph, rather than the 7 gph I usually assume for a C150. In general, pilot training has 2 modes -- touch and goes at the local airport (with some airwork at the beginning) and cross country planning and flying. The first generally de-emphasize fuel, because lessons are rarely longer than 1 hour. Example: cross country planning definitely covers fuel usage, and punching the numbers to confirm how much will be used. Sight-seeing and tooling around the aircraft is not something that is really gone over. I never had the brains to ask, 'so, what's different about just going up, flying around, and looking at stuff?' one answer is: 'it's easy to lose track of time when you don't have a particular goal.' a pilot friend says he has a countdown timer set on his wristwatch that beeps when he has a 30 min reserve calculated. This is a method I will apply in the future. Also, the considerations and contributing factors notwithstanding, this is a pretty clear case of a pilot being stupid, then getting lucky enough to be able to write this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT RUNS OUT OF GAS, LANDS ON HWY.

Narrative: THE ESSENCE OF THIS RPT IS THAT I RAN OUT OF FUEL. WHAT REALLY CAUSED THE INCIDENT WAS PLT THOUGHTLESSNESS. IN PREFLT I SAW ROUGHLY 1/2 TANKS. I THOUGHT CLB UP IN THE AIR FOR 1 HR (MY ESTIMATED TIME SIGHT-SEEING). AFTER FLYING FOR ABOUT 40 MINS, I HAD DONE THE SIGHT-SEEING I PLANED, THEN SAID 'HAVEN'T BEEN UP HERE TOO LONG, I MIGHT AS WELL KEEP GOING AND SEE WEST POINT.' I DID NOT CHK THE FUEL GAUGES. I REALIZED, ONCE OVER WEST POINT, THAT I WAS VERY LOW ON GAS, SO I IMMEDIATELY TURNED DOWN THE HUDSON AND TOWARDS MY ARPT. THEN I CHKED AGAIN, THE GAUGES WERE REALLY LOW. IT LOOKED LIKE 3 GALS, OR ONE HALF HR OF FLT TIME. CLOSE, SO I LOOKED FOR A CLOSER ARPT, SELECTED WESTCHESTER COUNTY, AND HEADED TOWARDS IT. WHILE IN CONTACT WITH WESTCHESTER RADAR, I HEARD THE FIRST SPUTTER, AND SOON THE ENG WAS NO LONGER TURNING. I INFORMED WESTCHESTER THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER, AND THAT I WOULD TRY TO SET THE PLANE DOWN ON A NEARBY HWY. I LANDED ON THE TACONIC PARKWAY, NO INJURIES TO ME (ONLY OCCUPANT), NO CONTACT WITH ANY CARS, NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE, WHICH I STEERED OFF THE HWY ONTO THE SHOULDER. THOUGHTS: THE BELIEF THAT A 'LCL' FLT TEB/LCL IS A SHORT ONE, THAT REQUIRES A BIT LESS ATTN WAS INCORRECT. I HAD REJECTED THE FIRST PLANE THE FBO SUGGESTED, BECAUSE IT HAD A LARGE, PREVIOUSLY UNREPORTED DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE OF 1 WING. I FELT VIRTUOUS AND COCKY -- 'I AM A CAUTIOUS PLT,' WHICH MADE ME THINK, 'I CAN BE LESS THOROUGH.' THE C152 ALSO BURNS ROUGHLY 8 GPH, RATHER THAN THE 7 GPH I USUALLY ASSUME FOR A C150. IN GENERAL, PLT TRAINING HAS 2 MODES -- TOUCH AND GOES AT THE LCL ARPT (WITH SOME AIRWORK AT THE BEGINNING) AND XCOUNTRY PLANNING AND FLYING. THE FIRST GENERALLY DE-EMPHASIZE FUEL, BECAUSE LESSONS ARE RARELY LONGER THAN 1 HR. EXAMPLE: XCOUNTRY PLANNING DEFINITELY COVERS FUEL USAGE, AND PUNCHING THE NUMBERS TO CONFIRM HOW MUCH WILL BE USED. SIGHT-SEEING AND TOOLING AROUND THE ACFT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY GONE OVER. I NEVER HAD THE BRAINS TO ASK, 'SO, WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT JUST GOING UP, FLYING AROUND, AND LOOKING AT STUFF?' ONE ANSWER IS: 'IT'S EASY TO LOSE TRACK OF TIME WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR GOAL.' A PLT FRIEND SAYS HE HAS A COUNTDOWN TIMER SET ON HIS WRISTWATCH THAT BEEPS WHEN HE HAS A 30 MIN RESERVE CALCULATED. THIS IS A METHOD I WILL APPLY IN THE FUTURE. ALSO, THE CONSIDERATIONS AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS NOTWITHSTANDING, THIS IS A PRETTY CLR CASE OF A PLT BEING STUPID, THEN GETTING LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS RPT.

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.