Narrative:

I took off from ore in our piper PA12 super cruiser at XX35 am for a VFR flight to central nj (47N). I had flown from 47N to ore earlier in the morning and had obtained a WX briefing from bridgeport flight service at about XX00 am. Fuel on board -- 3.5 hours. WX at ore -- windy, turbulent, visibility 15-30 mi, broken clouds at 4000 ft. Route of flight was via hartford and madison vors across long island sound past brookhaven to the south shore of long island. I checked fuel gauges at brookhaven (1.5 hours into the flight) and fuel level appeared more than adequate to make it to the destination with 1 hour reserve. On the south shore I descended first to 1400 ft past mac arthur class C airspace and then to 400 ft to pass jfk in the VFR corridor along the beach. The headwind on the south shore was from 300 degrees at 15-20 KTS (higher than forecast and unusual for that route of flight with which I am quite familiar). Turbulence at the low altitude was moderate to severe. The PA12 requires considerable lateral control in turbulence. Passing long beach at 450 ft (150 degree radial from kennedy VOR), I experienced about 5 seconds of fuel starvation while running on the right tank. The engine immediately caught when the left tank valve was turned on. (At this point I had 0.5 usable hours in the left tank and 1 usable hour in the right.) some 5 or so mins later, the engine again quit for about 5 seconds and restarted. I clearly had a fuel problem, and the nearest GA airport ahead (about 20 mins) was linden with heavily populated urban areas, ny harbor, and no good emergency landing sites on the way. My immediate options were: 1) declare an emergency to kennedy tower, 2) land on the beach, or 3) enter class B airspace for a short distance and land at floyd bennett field (closed but still has usable runways) which was just ahead. I chose the latter as safest and most expedient and landed on runway 30 with the engine running. I was met by a lieutenant from the coast guard station there. Coast guard personnel were extremely helpful, polite and competent, and assisted me in obtaining 2 more hours of fuel. I spoke with jfk tower personnel twice to explain what happened as I did violate class B airspace at 400 ft. Mr X in the tower was helpful, polite and I appreciated his courtesy. After adding fuel, I checked engine performance and took off, notifying ny departure on 123.25 of my intended route of flight to depart class B airspace. The remainder of the flight was uneventful (but turbulent). After reaching my destination, a careful check of fuel on board revealed my calculations were correct. The momentary fuel starvation events I experienced were due to turbulence, which sloshed fuel in the tank away from the gravity flow outlet. In the future, we will never fly this airplane in turbulent conditions with less than half tanks of fuel, which seems to be adequate to prevent the momentary starvation problems I experienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA12 PVT PLT DIVERTS TO THE CLOSED ARPT HELI PAD, NOP, NY, WHEN THE ENG KEEPS QUITTING. PLT SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE TURB THAT THE ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM ORE IN OUR PIPER PA12 SUPER CRUISER AT XX35 AM FOR A VFR FLT TO CENTRAL NJ (47N). I HAD FLOWN FROM 47N TO ORE EARLIER IN THE MORNING AND HAD OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FROM BRIDGEPORT FLT SVC AT ABOUT XX00 AM. FUEL ON BOARD -- 3.5 HRS. WX AT ORE -- WINDY, TURBULENT, VISIBILITY 15-30 MI, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 4000 FT. RTE OF FLT WAS VIA HARTFORD AND MADISON VORS ACROSS LONG ISLAND SOUND PAST BROOKHAVEN TO THE S SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. I CHKED FUEL GAUGES AT BROOKHAVEN (1.5 HRS INTO THE FLT) AND FUEL LEVEL APPEARED MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO MAKE IT TO THE DEST WITH 1 HR RESERVE. ON THE S SHORE I DSNDED FIRST TO 1400 FT PAST MAC ARTHUR CLASS C AIRSPACE AND THEN TO 400 FT TO PASS JFK IN THE VFR CORRIDOR ALONG THE BEACH. THE HEADWIND ON THE S SHORE WAS FROM 300 DEGS AT 15-20 KTS (HIGHER THAN FORECAST AND UNUSUAL FOR THAT RTE OF FLT WITH WHICH I AM QUITE FAMILIAR). TURB AT THE LOW ALT WAS MODERATE TO SEVERE. THE PA12 REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE LATERAL CTL IN TURB. PASSING LONG BEACH AT 450 FT (150 DEG RADIAL FROM KENNEDY VOR), I EXPERIENCED ABOUT 5 SECONDS OF FUEL STARVATION WHILE RUNNING ON THE R TANK. THE ENG IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT WHEN THE L TANK VALVE WAS TURNED ON. (AT THIS POINT I HAD 0.5 USABLE HRS IN THE L TANK AND 1 USABLE HR IN THE R.) SOME 5 OR SO MINS LATER, THE ENG AGAIN QUIT FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND RESTARTED. I CLRLY HAD A FUEL PROB, AND THE NEAREST GA ARPT AHEAD (ABOUT 20 MINS) WAS LINDEN WITH HEAVILY POPULATED URBAN AREAS, NY HARBOR, AND NO GOOD EMER LNDG SITES ON THE WAY. MY IMMEDIATE OPTIONS WERE: 1) DECLARE AN EMER TO KENNEDY TWR, 2) LAND ON THE BEACH, OR 3) ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE AND LAND AT FLOYD BENNETT FIELD (CLOSED BUT STILL HAS USABLE RWYS) WHICH WAS JUST AHEAD. I CHOSE THE LATTER AS SAFEST AND MOST EXPEDIENT AND LANDED ON RWY 30 WITH THE ENG RUNNING. I WAS MET BY A LIEUTENANT FROM THE COAST GUARD STATION THERE. COAST GUARD PERSONNEL WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL, POLITE AND COMPETENT, AND ASSISTED ME IN OBTAINING 2 MORE HRS OF FUEL. I SPOKE WITH JFK TWR PERSONNEL TWICE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AS I DID VIOLATE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 400 FT. MR X IN THE TWR WAS HELPFUL, POLITE AND I APPRECIATED HIS COURTESY. AFTER ADDING FUEL, I CHKED ENG PERFORMANCE AND TOOK OFF, NOTIFYING NY DEP ON 123.25 OF MY INTENDED RTE OF FLT TO DEPART CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL (BUT TURBULENT). AFTER REACHING MY DEST, A CAREFUL CHK OF FUEL ON BOARD REVEALED MY CALCULATIONS WERE CORRECT. THE MOMENTARY FUEL STARVATION EVENTS I EXPERIENCED WERE DUE TO TURB, WHICH SLOSHED FUEL IN THE TANK AWAY FROM THE GRAVITY FLOW OUTLET. IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL NEVER FLY THIS AIRPLANE IN TURBULENT CONDITIONS WITH LESS THAN HALF TANKS OF FUEL, WHICH SEEMS TO BE ADEQUATE TO PREVENT THE MOMENTARY STARVATION PROBS I EXPERIENCED.

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.