Narrative:

On final approach, 2 1/2 mi out, landing on runway 25, my engine suddenly quit. My first thought was carburetor ice. I immediately put on carburetor heat -- no change. At that moment I thought sure I had fuel in the left tank. In the little grumman 2 seat, your only way to tell if you have any fuel and roughly how much, is the left and right sight gauges have a red ball that goes up to the top when fuel is added, the ball moves up. I could not see for sure before I left how much fuel I had, the sun was interfering with a good reading. The right tank had 1/4 tank, this I could see. I was only going 5 mi from the grass air strip to tol airport for a discussion with their head of maintenance at this FBO. Tol approach vectored me around for 5 mins, so when the engine quit, I didn't think I was out of fuel. However, I did call the tower and told them it had quit, and would have to put it in a field -- I couldn't make the runway. Then I realized that I didn't switch tanks, I should have done that in my landing checklist. As soon as I changed tanks, the engine started at once and I made an uneventful landing. I called the tower as soon as the engine started and told them I would make a normal landing, everything was fine. But they brought out the fire trucks anyway, and the airport fire department followed me over to the FBO and they asked for my license number, physical date, ratings, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GRUMMAN AAI ON APCH AT 1100 FT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO ENG FUEL STARVATION PLT THEN SWITCHED TANKS AND RESTARTED ENG, LNDG UNEVENTFULLY.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH, 2 1/2 MI OUT, LNDG ON RWY 25, MY ENG SUDDENLY QUIT. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS CARB ICE. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ON CARB HEAT -- NO CHANGE. AT THAT MOMENT I THOUGHT SURE I HAD FUEL IN THE L TANK. IN THE LITTLE GRUMMAN 2 SEAT, YOUR ONLY WAY TO TELL IF YOU HAVE ANY FUEL AND ROUGHLY HOW MUCH, IS THE L AND R SIGHT GAUGES HAVE A RED BALL THAT GOES UP TO THE TOP WHEN FUEL IS ADDED, THE BALL MOVES UP. I COULD NOT SEE FOR SURE BEFORE I LEFT HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD, THE SUN WAS INTERFERING WITH A GOOD READING. THE R TANK HAD 1/4 TANK, THIS I COULD SEE. I WAS ONLY GOING 5 MI FROM THE GRASS AIR STRIP TO TOL ARPT FOR A DISCUSSION WITH THEIR HEAD OF MAINT AT THIS FBO. TOL APCH VECTORED ME AROUND FOR 5 MINS, SO WHEN THE ENG QUIT, I DIDN'T THINK I WAS OUT OF FUEL. HOWEVER, I DID CALL THE TWR AND TOLD THEM IT HAD QUIT, AND WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT IN A FIELD -- I COULDN'T MAKE THE RWY. THEN I REALIZED THAT I DIDN'T SWITCH TANKS, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT IN MY LNDG CHKLIST. AS SOON AS I CHANGED TANKS, THE ENG STARTED AT ONCE AND I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I CALLED THE TWR AS SOON AS THE ENG STARTED AND TOLD THEM I WOULD MAKE A NORMAL LNDG, EVERYTHING WAS FINE. BUT THEY BROUGHT OUT THE FIRE TRUCKS ANYWAY, AND THE ARPT FIRE DEPT FOLLOWED ME OVER TO THE FBO AND THEY ASKED FOR MY LICENSE NUMBER, PHYSICAL DATE, RATINGS, ETC.

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.