Narrative:

Flight along V5 to V178 from bowling green to lexington. This morning's scheduled delivery of 100LL to bowling green did not occur: I found out about 5 mi north inbound. Had planned to fill tanks there, but unable. Dipstick showed 12 gals fuel remaining, which I thought would be plenty to reach lexington without diverting. Began receiving vectors halfway to lexington from new hope VOR. Developed engine roughness about 15 mi from lexington. Mixture rich, no response to carburetor heat, pumping throttle (fuel shutoff on) change of magnetos. Simultaneously reported engine roughness and requested vector approach without undue delay as engine roughness improved to normal (without relation to above). Engine roughness returned with airport in sight at about 7-8 mi. Unable to climb, requested landing priority. Engine very rough, then stopped at start of final. Able to glide to a normal no flap landing (7000 ft runway). Taxi to ramp ok, tanks held 26 gals, capacity 26 gals. I had not leaned the (C152) aircraft for optimum fuel economy, so my gph fuel consumption was higher than expected. I ran through my unusable fuel and my 30 min day VFR reserve. I honestly thought I had plenty of fuel with 6 gph, but again had not leaned the airplane to optimum, so I did not get 6 gph and should not have expected this. I will obviously be much more cautious about fuel, not push VFR reserve minimums, divert for gas if any doubt in the future. I know to not expect optimum fuel consumption without leaning the engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION ON FINAL APCH. HE MADE IT TO THE RWY WITHOUT PWR. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: FLT ALONG V5 TO V178 FROM BOWLING GREEN TO LEXINGTON. THIS MORNING'S SCHEDULED DELIVERY OF 100LL TO BOWLING GREEN DID NOT OCCUR: I FOUND OUT ABOUT 5 MI N INBOUND. HAD PLANNED TO FILL TANKS THERE, BUT UNABLE. DIPSTICK SHOWED 12 GALS FUEL REMAINING, WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD BE PLENTY TO REACH LEXINGTON WITHOUT DIVERTING. BEGAN RECEIVING VECTORS HALFWAY TO LEXINGTON FROM NEW HOPE VOR. DEVELOPED ENG ROUGHNESS ABOUT 15 MI FROM LEXINGTON. MIXTURE RICH, NO RESPONSE TO CARB HEAT, PUMPING THROTTLE (FUEL SHUTOFF ON) CHANGE OF MAGNETOS. SIMULTANEOUSLY RPTED ENG ROUGHNESS AND REQUESTED VECTOR APCH WITHOUT UNDUE DELAY AS ENG ROUGHNESS IMPROVED TO NORMAL (WITHOUT RELATION TO ABOVE). ENG ROUGHNESS RETURNED WITH ARPT IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 7-8 MI. UNABLE TO CLB, REQUESTED LNDG PRIORITY. ENG VERY ROUGH, THEN STOPPED AT START OF FINAL. ABLE TO GLIDE TO A NORMAL NO FLAP LNDG (7000 FT RWY). TAXI TO RAMP OK, TANKS HELD 26 GALS, CAPACITY 26 GALS. I HAD NOT LEANED THE (C152) ACFT FOR OPTIMUM FUEL ECONOMY, SO MY GPH FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED. I RAN THROUGH MY UNUSABLE FUEL AND MY 30 MIN DAY VFR RESERVE. I HONESTLY THOUGHT I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL WITH 6 GPH, BUT AGAIN HAD NOT LEANED THE AIRPLANE TO OPTIMUM, SO I DID NOT GET 6 GPH AND SHOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED THIS. I WILL OBVIOUSLY BE MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT FUEL, NOT PUSH VFR RESERVE MINIMUMS, DIVERT FOR GAS IF ANY DOUBT IN THE FUTURE. I KNOW TO NOT EXPECT OPTIMUM FUEL CONSUMPTION WITHOUT LEANING THE ENG.

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.