Narrative:

Flight planned VFR from 2x53 (home base) northwest of houston, tx, to ptb in petersburg, va, with fuel stop at DCU decatur, al, for thanksgiving vacation. Weight calculated to be 12 pounds over gross weight limit with full fuel, so fuel loaded 1 gal less in each wing tank (2). Tailwind forecast 25 KTS. Cruised at 11500 ft MSL, with about 13 KT tailwind, comparing airspeed to GPS ground speed. First flight above 7500 ft since engine overhaul, so lean mixture made fuel consumption appear lower than other flts at lower altitudes. Major mistake: recalculated range when 50 mi east of greenwood, ms, (forgetting fuel tanks were not topped off) and changed planned fuel stop to chattanooga, tn. Mild hypoxia at 11500 ft may have contributed to this error. After passing planned stop, thinking there was 90 mins fuel left for 60 mins no-wind flight, the tailwind gave false confidence. Several suitable refueling stops were passed up as I fixated on proving the range that was calculated. When the left tank ran dry, I finally realized just how serious my mistake was. I contacted chattanooga TRACON and advised my intentions and low fuel status. When the right tank unported in the descent altitude I diverted to apt (marion county-brown airport in jasper, tn) with enough altitude to glide to a normal landing on runway 22, coasting onto a taxiway, from where the aircraft was towed to the fuel pumps. The remainder of the trip was completed without incident, but with fat fuel reserves. I am fortunate that my stupidity in taking such a risk unnecessarily did not lead to an accident or injury, as it so easily could have. I will never again change a flight plan to a less conservative alternative, nor will I try to operate in such a way that only minimum legal fuel reserves will remain if the plan works as planned. I realize that my family and I could have paid the ultimate price for this arrogant gamble. Summary: flight planned near maximum range, fuel load slightly reduced, uncertainty of fuel flow at altitude, tailwind, mild hypoxia clouded judgement, changed destination to less conservative choice, desire to prove aircraft range, late to admit error, face situation, and land at nearest suitable airport. This was also the first long cross country flight I had an opportunity to make in two and one half yrs, so I was not in practice for planning activities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLT PLANNED VFR TO PTB WITH A FUEL STOP AT DCU. CRUISING AT 11500 FT NO OXYGEN, THOUGHT FUEL BURN WAS SUCH TO OVERFLY PLANNED STOP AND CONTINUE TO CHA. 25 MI W OF GQO ENG QUIT FUEL EXHAUSTION. ADVISED CHA APCH CTL DIVERTING TO APT AND LANDED OK ON RWY 22. REFUELED AND CONTINUED TO DEST WITH ADEQUATE RESERVE.

Narrative: FLT PLANNED VFR FROM 2X53 (HOME BASE) NW OF HOUSTON, TX, TO PTB IN PETERSBURG, VA, WITH FUEL STOP AT DCU DECATUR, AL, FOR THANKSGIVING VACATION. WT CALCULATED TO BE 12 LBS OVER GROSS WT LIMIT WITH FULL FUEL, SO FUEL LOADED 1 GAL LESS IN EACH WING TANK (2). TAILWIND FORECAST 25 KTS. CRUISED AT 11500 FT MSL, WITH ABOUT 13 KT TAILWIND, COMPARING AIRSPD TO GPS GND SPD. FIRST FLT ABOVE 7500 FT SINCE ENG OVERHAUL, SO LEAN MIXTURE MADE FUEL CONSUMPTION APPEAR LOWER THAN OTHER FLTS AT LOWER ALTS. MAJOR MISTAKE: RECALCULATED RANGE WHEN 50 MI E OF GREENWOOD, MS, (FORGETTING FUEL TANKS WERE NOT TOPPED OFF) AND CHANGED PLANNED FUEL STOP TO CHATTANOOGA, TN. MILD HYPOXIA AT 11500 FT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ERROR. AFTER PASSING PLANNED STOP, THINKING THERE WAS 90 MINS FUEL LEFT FOR 60 MINS NO-WIND FLT, THE TAILWIND GAVE FALSE CONFIDENCE. SEVERAL SUITABLE REFUELING STOPS WERE PASSED UP AS I FIXATED ON PROVING THE RANGE THAT WAS CALCULATED. WHEN THE L TANK RAN DRY, I FINALLY REALIZED JUST HOW SERIOUS MY MISTAKE WAS. I CONTACTED CHATTANOOGA TRACON AND ADVISED MY INTENTIONS AND LOW FUEL STATUS. WHEN THE R TANK UNPORTED IN THE DSCNT ALT I DIVERTED TO APT (MARION COUNTY-BROWN ARPT IN JASPER, TN) WITH ENOUGH ALT TO GLIDE TO A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 22, COASTING ONTO A TXWY, FROM WHERE THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE FUEL PUMPS. THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT WITH FAT FUEL RESERVES. I AM FORTUNATE THAT MY STUPIDITY IN TAKING SUCH A RISK UNNECESSARILY DID NOT LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY, AS IT SO EASILY COULD HAVE. I WILL NEVER AGAIN CHANGE A FLT PLAN TO A LESS CONSERVATIVE ALTERNATIVE, NOR WILL I TRY TO OPERATE IN SUCH A WAY THAT ONLY MINIMUM LEGAL FUEL RESERVES WILL REMAIN IF THE PLAN WORKS AS PLANNED. I REALIZE THAT MY FAMILY AND I COULD HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR THIS ARROGANT GAMBLE. SUMMARY: FLT PLANNED NEAR MAX RANGE, FUEL LOAD SLIGHTLY REDUCED, UNCERTAINTY OF FUEL FLOW AT ALT, TAILWIND, MILD HYPOXIA CLOUDED JUDGEMENT, CHANGED DEST TO LESS CONSERVATIVE CHOICE, DESIRE TO PROVE ACFT RANGE, LATE TO ADMIT ERROR, FACE SIT, AND LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. THIS WAS ALSO THE FIRST LONG XCOUNTRY FLT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IN TWO AND ONE HALF YRS, SO I WAS NOT IN PRACTICE FOR PLANNING ACTIVITIES.

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.