During a dual cross country training flight in a citabria 7ECA, the engine quit due to fuel exhausti...

Narrative:

A proper preflight was done, and the student did a fairly good job on cross country preparations. He did have the wrong fuel total and I corrected the problem. (He thought we had 36 gal tanks, when we actually had 26 gal tanks.) our goal was to use pilotage and dead reckoning to victoria, then incorporate VOR work, from victoria, palacious, galveston and back home, la porte. The flight was to be about 2 hours and 50 mins with 4 hours of fuel on board, at about 6 gals per hour, properly leaned, we did lean. We departed victoria and climbed to 3500 ft. On both legs I had the student lean the mixture and set the RPM's at 2400. On both legs I made him lean twice just to make sure, and set RPM's to 2400 and verify. At rice private airport the engine started to cough so I had the student enrichen just a little to make sure we weren't too lean. On the mixture lean procedure, I did monitor on both legs the egt and RPM settings while it was being done. The engine coughed again after we enriched, so I verified fuel on, mixture rich, primer in and locked magnetos hot. Fuel tanks read 1/2. I exhausted my emergency procedures and called for a mayday. Rice private field had something big in the middle of the runway, so I looked elsewhere and found a field and landed safely. Total time on hobbs was 3.1 hours. Actual flight time: first leg 1 hour 20 mins, second leg 1 hour 10 mins. I landed about 6 mi south of arcola in a field. Yes the student did have the wrong fuel total, it was corrected. The fuel burn at the point of failure should have been about 16 gals, with 10 gals remaining. I was about 20 mins from T41. I was thinking that the tank should read about 1/2 or just under, which it did. Contributing factors: head winds, not bad though. Faulty fuel gauge, and I did not fuel at victoria. How it was discovered: engine ceased. Corrective action: landed in field safely. Human factors: 1) it appeared I should have made it. 2) poor judgement on my part by not refueling. 3) after the engine appeared to be getting worse I chose a field and stuck with it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A DUAL XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT IN A CITABRIA 7ECA, THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR INJURY TO THE INSTRUCTOR OR TRAINEE.

Narrative: A PROPER PREFLT WAS DONE, AND THE STUDENT DID A FAIRLY GOOD JOB ON XCOUNTRY PREPARATIONS. HE DID HAVE THE WRONG FUEL TOTAL AND I CORRECTED THE PROB. (HE THOUGHT WE HAD 36 GAL TANKS, WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD 26 GAL TANKS.) OUR GOAL WAS TO USE PILOTAGE AND DEAD RECKONING TO VICTORIA, THEN INCORPORATE VOR WORK, FROM VICTORIA, PALACIOUS, GALVESTON AND BACK HOME, LA PORTE. THE FLT WAS TO BE ABOUT 2 HRS AND 50 MINS WITH 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD, AT ABOUT 6 GALS PER HR, PROPERLY LEANED, WE DID LEAN. WE DEPARTED VICTORIA AND CLBED TO 3500 FT. ON BOTH LEGS I HAD THE STUDENT LEAN THE MIXTURE AND SET THE RPM'S AT 2400. ON BOTH LEGS I MADE HIM LEAN TWICE JUST TO MAKE SURE, AND SET RPM'S TO 2400 AND VERIFY. AT RICE PVT ARPT THE ENG STARTED TO COUGH SO I HAD THE STUDENT ENRICHEN JUST A LITTLE TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T TOO LEAN. ON THE MIXTURE LEAN PROC, I DID MONITOR ON BOTH LEGS THE EGT AND RPM SETTINGS WHILE IT WAS BEING DONE. THE ENG COUGHED AGAIN AFTER WE ENRICHED, SO I VERIFIED FUEL ON, MIXTURE RICH, PRIMER IN AND LOCKED MAGNETOS HOT. FUEL TANKS READ 1/2. I EXHAUSTED MY EMER PROCS AND CALLED FOR A MAYDAY. RICE PVT FIELD HAD SOMETHING BIG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, SO I LOOKED ELSEWHERE AND FOUND A FIELD AND LANDED SAFELY. TOTAL TIME ON HOBBS WAS 3.1 HRS. ACTUAL FLT TIME: FIRST LEG 1 HR 20 MINS, SECOND LEG 1 HR 10 MINS. I LANDED ABOUT 6 MI S OF ARCOLA IN A FIELD. YES THE STUDENT DID HAVE THE WRONG FUEL TOTAL, IT WAS CORRECTED. THE FUEL BURN AT THE POINT OF FAILURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 16 GALS, WITH 10 GALS REMAINING. I WAS ABOUT 20 MINS FROM T41. I WAS THINKING THAT THE TANK SHOULD READ ABOUT 1/2 OR JUST UNDER, WHICH IT DID. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HEAD WINDS, NOT BAD THOUGH. FAULTY FUEL GAUGE, AND I DID NOT FUEL AT VICTORIA. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: ENG CEASED. CORRECTIVE ACTION: LANDED IN FIELD SAFELY. HUMAN FACTORS: 1) IT APPEARED I SHOULD HAVE MADE IT. 2) POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART BY NOT REFUELING. 3) AFTER THE ENG APPEARED TO BE GETTING WORSE I CHOSE A FIELD AND STUCK WITH IT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	394999
Time
Date	199802
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 33ta
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Champion Citabria 7ECA
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	394999
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

During a dual cross country training flight in a citabria 7ECA, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. An off airport forced landing was made without damage to the aircraft or injury to the instructor or trainee.