Narrative:

While descending to land at yng, following cross country from dyl (VFR), engine quit. This occurred after receiving clearance to land on runway 5 at yng, about 2 mi ese of airport. After performing appropriate checklist items, I advised tower of situation and attempted to restart engine. Since it was not certain that I could glide to the airfield, and there was a suitable field below, I opted to land off-airport. After landing and advising tower that landing was successful, I secured the aircraft and determined that there was no fuel left in either tank. Hobbs time since top-off at dyl had been 3.1 hours. Calculated endurance at selected power settings was 3.8 hours. I have not been able to determine conclusively why endurance was not what was calculated. We own this airplane, and we have always obtained nominally book- value performance. I have double-checked my ground speed/distance calculation and determined that the hobbs time correlated ok. We have also, since this event, determined that the hobbs meter is working ok, and that the fuel consumption seems to be normal. Although I checked the fuel level visually in preflight, and was quite certain both tanks were topped-off, all indications point to a probability that the tanks were not both full. The only other possibilities I can think of are that fuel leaked or siphoned out during flight, or that the fuel was somehow compromised. I have found nothing to indicate either of these possibilities occurred. In order to prevent this from occurring again, I will increase my vigilance in preflight, especially with respect to fuel levels, and plan for more margin in my endurance calculations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OWNER OF A C150 RAN OUT OF FUEL AND WAS FORCED TO LAND OFF ARPT. NO FUEL WAS FOUND AFTER LNDG. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR INJURY TO PLT.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING TO LAND AT YNG, FOLLOWING XCOUNTRY FROM DYL (VFR), ENG QUIT. THIS OCCURRED AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 5 AT YNG, ABOUT 2 MI ESE OF ARPT. AFTER PERFORMING APPROPRIATE CHKLIST ITEMS, I ADVISED TWR OF SIT AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART ENG. SINCE IT WAS NOT CERTAIN THAT I COULD GLIDE TO THE AIRFIELD, AND THERE WAS A SUITABLE FIELD BELOW, I OPTED TO LAND OFF-ARPT. AFTER LNDG AND ADVISING TWR THAT LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL, I SECURED THE ACFT AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL LEFT IN EITHER TANK. HOBBS TIME SINCE TOP-OFF AT DYL HAD BEEN 3.1 HRS. CALCULATED ENDURANCE AT SELECTED PWR SETTINGS WAS 3.8 HRS. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE CONCLUSIVELY WHY ENDURANCE WAS NOT WHAT WAS CALCULATED. WE OWN THIS AIRPLANE, AND WE HAVE ALWAYS OBTAINED NOMINALLY BOOK- VALUE PERFORMANCE. I HAVE DOUBLE-CHKED MY GND SPD/DISTANCE CALCULATION AND DETERMINED THAT THE HOBBS TIME CORRELATED OK. WE HAVE ALSO, SINCE THIS EVENT, DETERMINED THAT THE HOBBS METER IS WORKING OK, AND THAT THE FUEL CONSUMPTION SEEMS TO BE NORMAL. ALTHOUGH I CHKED THE FUEL LEVEL VISUALLY IN PREFLT, AND WAS QUITE CERTAIN BOTH TANKS WERE TOPPED-OFF, ALL INDICATIONS POINT TO A PROBABILITY THAT THE TANKS WERE NOT BOTH FULL. THE ONLY OTHER POSSIBILITIES I CAN THINK OF ARE THAT FUEL LEAKED OR SIPHONED OUT DURING FLT, OR THAT THE FUEL WAS SOMEHOW COMPROMISED. I HAVE FOUND NOTHING TO INDICATE EITHER OF THESE POSSIBILITIES OCCURRED. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, I WILL INCREASE MY VIGILANCE IN PREFLT, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO FUEL LEVELS, AND PLAN FOR MORE MARGIN IN MY ENDURANCE CALCULATIONS.

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.