Narrative:

Prior to arriving at abilene FBO, I made a phone call requesting that the aircraft only be fueled with 30 gals versus a full 40 gals. The rationale for this request was due to the fact I had 4 adults plus minimal baggage for the trip. My flight plan required 17 gals to complete the trip from abilene direct spearman, tx. Therefore, due the weight and balance and the required 17 gals, in my best judgement I felt that 30 gals of fuel would be plenty. When I arrived at the FBO I found 2 employees emptying fuel from the aircraft via a plastic trash can and then emptying it back into the fuel truck. I asked them how accurate can they be with such a technique. I was told that they left at least 30 gals in the tank, but probably more just to be conservative. All 3 of my passenger were also told at least 30 gals of fuel was in the tanks. I then asked the employees (maintenance/fuel) if there were any write-ups (discrepancies) with the aircraft, and was told that there wasn't any. I began my preflight. Once the master switch was turned on I checked the fuel tank gauges. The right fuel gauge read full and the left fuel gauge read 3/4 full. As I continued with my preflight I visually checked both wing tanks. All I noticed was that there was fuel in both tanks. However, I wasn't able to accurately estimate the amount of fuel in each tank. In my best judgement I noticed both tanks to be at least 1/2 full. I felt comfortable with my preflight and decided to takeoff. Once cruising at altitude and approximately 30 mins into the flight I noticed that the right fuel gauge was still reading full. At that time I came to the conclusion that the right gauge was unreliable. The left tank read a little over 1/2 full. At that time I came to the conclusion and I chose to trust the abilene FBO employees that there was 30 gals of fuel put into the aircraft. At approximately 1 hour into the flight suddenly the engine began to sputter and I heard a loud bang. At first I thought that we may have lost a valve, piston, etc. I immediately began to set up for an emergency landing. My front passenger (also a pilot) made a quick call to ZAB stating that we were landing immediately at memphis airport. Luckily, we were located directly over memphis airport at an altitude of 6500 ft MSL. Once abeam the numbers on the runway (I was set up on a downwind) I pulled the carburetor heat on and pulled the throttle back to 1500 RPM. Out of curiosity I pushed in the throttle and I discovered we had lost power. I continued with the approach and was able to safely land the aircraft. Once on the ground I checked the fuel tanks to find that we were out of fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172R PLT ACCEPTED FBO FUELER'S WORD THAT ACFT WAS PROPERLY FUELED, BUT RAN OUT OF FUEL ENRTE AND MADE EMER LNDG AT ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT ABILENE FBO, I MADE A PHONE CALL REQUESTING THAT THE ACFT ONLY BE FUELED WITH 30 GALS VERSUS A FULL 40 GALS. THE RATIONALE FOR THIS REQUEST WAS DUE TO THE FACT I HAD 4 ADULTS PLUS MINIMAL BAGGAGE FOR THE TRIP. MY FLT PLAN REQUIRED 17 GALS TO COMPLETE THE TRIP FROM ABILENE DIRECT SPEARMAN, TX. THEREFORE, DUE THE WT AND BAL AND THE REQUIRED 17 GALS, IN MY BEST JUDGEMENT I FELT THAT 30 GALS OF FUEL WOULD BE PLENTY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE FBO I FOUND 2 EMPLOYEES EMPTYING FUEL FROM THE ACFT VIA A PLASTIC TRASH CAN AND THEN EMPTYING IT BACK INTO THE FUEL TRUCK. I ASKED THEM HOW ACCURATE CAN THEY BE WITH SUCH A TECHNIQUE. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY LEFT AT LEAST 30 GALS IN THE TANK, BUT PROBABLY MORE JUST TO BE CONSERVATIVE. ALL 3 OF MY PAX WERE ALSO TOLD AT LEAST 30 GALS OF FUEL WAS IN THE TANKS. I THEN ASKED THE EMPLOYEES (MAINT/FUEL) IF THERE WERE ANY WRITE-UPS (DISCREPANCIES) WITH THE ACFT, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WASN'T ANY. I BEGAN MY PREFLT. ONCE THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON I CHKED THE FUEL TANK GAUGES. THE R FUEL GAUGE READ FULL AND THE L FUEL GAUGE READ 3/4 FULL. AS I CONTINUED WITH MY PREFLT I VISUALLY CHKED BOTH WING TANKS. ALL I NOTICED WAS THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. HOWEVER, I WASN'T ABLE TO ACCURATELY ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. IN MY BEST JUDGEMENT I NOTICED BOTH TANKS TO BE AT LEAST 1/2 FULL. I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH MY PREFLT AND DECIDED TO TKOF. ONCE CRUISING AT ALT AND APPROX 30 MINS INTO THE FLT I NOTICED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS STILL READING FULL. AT THAT TIME I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE R GAUGE WAS UNRELIABLE. THE L TANK READ A LITTLE OVER 1/2 FULL. AT THAT TIME I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION AND I CHOSE TO TRUST THE ABILENE FBO EMPLOYEES THAT THERE WAS 30 GALS OF FUEL PUT INTO THE ACFT. AT APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT SUDDENLY THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND I HEARD A LOUD BANG. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT WE MAY HAVE LOST A VALVE, PISTON, ETC. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SET UP FOR AN EMER LNDG. MY FRONT PAX (ALSO A PLT) MADE A QUICK CALL TO ZAB STATING THAT WE WERE LNDG IMMEDIATELY AT MEMPHIS ARPT. LUCKILY, WE WERE LOCATED DIRECTLY OVER MEMPHIS ARPT AT AN ALT OF 6500 FT MSL. ONCE ABEAM THE NUMBERS ON THE RWY (I WAS SET UP ON A DOWNWIND) I PULLED THE CARB HEAT ON AND PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO 1500 RPM. OUT OF CURIOSITY I PUSHED IN THE THROTTLE AND I DISCOVERED WE HAD LOST PWR. I CONTINUED WITH THE APCH AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY LAND THE ACFT. ONCE ON THE GND I CHKED THE FUEL TANKS TO FIND THAT WE WERE OUT OF FUEL.

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.