Narrative:

As part of my university training, I planned a cross country flight that was to take 6 hours. The flight was to be done in 3 legs: champaign to lacrosse, to janesville, and back to champaign. I filed all 3 legs of my cross country on a VFR flight plan. The first leg was to take 3 hours. With both fuel tanks topped off, they hold 59.8 gallons of fuel and, with an estimated fuel flow of 11 gallons per hour, it should have been enough to make it to the intended destination and still have more than enough fuel on reserve. In preflting my beechcraft sundowner, I went through my normal preflight inspection. This included visually checking my fuel level in both tanks. I also strained the fuel in all 3 possible places. After removing the straining tube, I checked to make sure that the strainers weren't leaking or stuck in a position as to release fuel. I took off from champaign at XA24 am local time. Soon afterwards, I activated my flight plan. During the flight, I switched fuel tanks every 1/2 hour. About 30-35 NM from lacrosse, I noticed that the left fuel tank gauge needle was between the red and yellow areas. At this time, the right tank gauge was indicating slightly less than half. It was at this time when I again switched to the fullest tank (the right tank). Shortly after switching tanks, my engine began sputtering and there was an incredible loss of RPM. I immediately switched tanks again and the same thing happened. Realizing that I was at 3000 ft MSL and the elevation was around 1300 ft MSL, I picked a field and executed a forced landing knowing that I didn't have much altitude to lose. During the flight, I noticed nothing unusual. It was a beautiful flight up until this point. The WX was beautiful and nothing out of the ordinary occurred. I noticed no fuel on the wings nor did I smell any raw fuel during any portion of the cross country. There may have been a leak of some sort, because to start, I did have enough fuel plus some to make it to my destination. There was no substantial damage to the aircraft nor any serious injuries to the pilot. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter does not know what happened to her fuel. The tanks appeared to be full by her normal preflight inspection technique. Nothing has been found wrong with the aircraft. She was given the opportunity for extra training or to be prosecuted by the FAA. She took the former and used the time to further her dream. She received 3 hours ground instruction and 3 hours flight instruction. She now has a private certificate with instrument rating. She agrees that a drain might have stuck open during preflight inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECHCRAFT SUNDOWNER PLT HAD TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT LNDG AFTER FUEL EXHAUSTION. POSSIBLE LEAK OF FUEL FROM STUCK DRAIN VALVE.

Narrative: AS PART OF MY UNIVERSITY TRAINING, I PLANNED A XCOUNTRY FLT THAT WAS TO TAKE 6 HRS. THE FLT WAS TO BE DONE IN 3 LEGS: CHAMPAIGN TO LACROSSE, TO JANESVILLE, AND BACK TO CHAMPAIGN. I FILED ALL 3 LEGS OF MY XCOUNTRY ON A VFR FLT PLAN. THE FIRST LEG WAS TO TAKE 3 HRS. WITH BOTH FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF, THEY HOLD 59.8 GALLONS OF FUEL AND, WITH AN ESTIMATED FUEL FLOW OF 11 GALLONS PER HR, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO THE INTENDED DEST AND STILL HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL ON RESERVE. IN PREFLTING MY BEECHCRAFT SUNDOWNER, I WENT THROUGH MY NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION. THIS INCLUDED VISUALLY CHKING MY FUEL LEVEL IN BOTH TANKS. I ALSO STRAINED THE FUEL IN ALL 3 POSSIBLE PLACES. AFTER REMOVING THE STRAINING TUBE, I CHKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STRAINERS WEREN'T LEAKING OR STUCK IN A POS AS TO RELEASE FUEL. I TOOK OFF FROM CHAMPAIGN AT XA24 AM LCL TIME. SOON AFTERWARDS, I ACTIVATED MY FLT PLAN. DURING THE FLT, I SWITCHED FUEL TANKS EVERY 1/2 HR. ABOUT 30-35 NM FROM LACROSSE, I NOTICED THAT THE L FUEL TANK GAUGE NEEDLE WAS BTWN THE RED AND YELLOW AREAS. AT THIS TIME, THE R TANK GAUGE WAS INDICATING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN HALF. IT WAS AT THIS TIME WHEN I AGAIN SWITCHED TO THE FULLEST TANK (THE R TANK). SHORTLY AFTER SWITCHING TANKS, MY ENG BEGAN SPUTTERING AND THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE LOSS OF RPM. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TANKS AGAIN AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. REALIZING THAT I WAS AT 3000 FT MSL AND THE ELEVATION WAS AROUND 1300 FT MSL, I PICKED A FIELD AND EXECUTED A FORCED LNDG KNOWING THAT I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH ALT TO LOSE. DURING THE FLT, I NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL FLT UP UNTIL THIS POINT. THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OCCURRED. I NOTICED NO FUEL ON THE WINGS NOR DID I SMELL ANY RAW FUEL DURING ANY PORTION OF THE XCOUNTRY. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LEAK OF SOME SORT, BECAUSE TO START, I DID HAVE ENOUGH FUEL PLUS SOME TO MAKE IT TO MY DEST. THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT NOR ANY SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE PLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER FUEL. THE TANKS APPEARED TO BE FULL BY HER NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION TECHNIQUE. NOTHING HAS BEEN FOUND WRONG WITH THE ACFT. SHE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXTRA TRAINING OR TO BE PROSECUTED BY THE FAA. SHE TOOK THE FORMER AND USED THE TIME TO FURTHER HER DREAM. SHE RECEIVED 3 HRS GND INSTRUCTION AND 3 HRS FLT INSTRUCTION. SHE NOW HAS A PVT CERTIFICATE WITH INST RATING. SHE AGREES THAT A DRAIN MIGHT HAVE STUCK OPEN DURING PREFLT INSPECTION.

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.