Private pilot of an american AA5 ran out of fuel, declared an emergency to ATC and was forced to land on an airport which he was overflying en route to his destination. The reporter believes that if the fuel gauges would have been more accurate that he would not have run out of fuel since keeping an accounting of the time fuel was used was not accurate.

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Attributes
ACN	400845
Time
Date	199804
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : x47
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dab
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 185 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	400845
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was flying an airplane rented from a local FBO en route to the washington, dc, area. The WX up in northern florida and southern georgia was IMC. I therefore decided to turn back and land at daytona beach. At flagler, while under the control of daytona approach, the engine had quit. I had filed an emergency and made an emergency landing at flagler county airport. Both tanks were on empty, maybe about 3 gallons were available. While airborne en route to my destination, I noticed the fuel gauges were inoperative. I had set the timer and should have flown for 4.5 hours. At 3.7 hours I had lost the engine. I believe there could have been a fuel leak within the aircraft. During the trip the mixture was leaned, so the excessive burn rate due to rich mixture was not a factor. I believe that with operative gauges, the incident would not have occurred. Fuel quantity should not be computed solely by the engine run time, but with actual working gauges.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN AMERICAN AA5 RAN OUT OF FUEL, DECLARED AN EMER TO ATC AND WAS FORCED TO LAND ON AN ARPT WHICH HE WAS OVERFLYING ENRTE TO HIS DEST. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT IF THE FUEL GAUGES WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ACCURATE THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL SINCE KEEPING AN ACCOUNTING OF THE TIME FUEL WAS USED WAS NOT ACCURATE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE RENTED FROM A LCL FBO ENRTE TO THE WASHINGTON, DC, AREA. THE WX UP IN NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA WAS IMC. I THEREFORE DECIDED TO TURN BACK AND LAND AT DAYTONA BEACH. AT FLAGLER, WHILE UNDER THE CTL OF DAYTONA APCH, THE ENG HAD QUIT. I HAD FILED AN EMER AND MADE AN EMER LNDG AT FLAGLER COUNTY ARPT. BOTH TANKS WERE ON EMPTY, MAYBE ABOUT 3 GALLONS WERE AVAILABLE. WHILE AIRBORNE ENRTE TO MY DEST, I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INOP. I HAD SET THE TIMER AND SHOULD HAVE FLOWN FOR 4.5 HRS. AT 3.7 HRS I HAD LOST THE ENG. I BELIEVE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A FUEL LEAK WITHIN THE ACFT. DURING THE TRIP THE MIXTURE WAS LEANED, SO THE EXCESSIVE BURN RATE DUE TO RICH MIXTURE WAS NOT A FACTOR. I BELIEVE THAT WITH OPERATIVE GAUGES, THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. FUEL QUANTITY SHOULD NOT BE COMPUTED SOLELY BY THE ENG RUN TIME, BUT WITH ACTUAL WORKING GAUGES.

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.