Narrative:

Aircraft type: C152. This was to be a simple flight from my home base to death valley (L06) and return. The plan was to get there, have a 2 hour ground time (to refuel and eat) as I did not eat before departure. After arrival, I found that they had ran out of fuel. I did not have enough fuel to make it back to my home base. At this time, I'm getting worried because I had to be back to my home base before dark. I'm not night qualified. I elected to go to henderson, nv. Had been there once before and I knew I could get fuel, so I left death valley. Thought I could eat when I got there. At this time I was monitoring flight service after activating the flight plan. When I crossed the mountain range west of las vegas, I encountered some moderate turbulence. I had some items in the storage area behind the seat (a camera, oil, small ladder). I turned around to see if everything was ok. I started descending to get below 4000 ft before I got too close to las vegas. I was really starting to worry about having enough fuel to get there. Tried calling henderson, no response. After numerous attempts, then my radio was not working. I leveled off about 3200-3300 ft MSL. I was more worried then that the engine was going to stop. The winds were forecast to be light and I thought the runway 18 would be in use. I knew that they used right traffic for runway 18. When I finally located the airport, I saw no other aircraft in the area to give me a clue as to what was what. I decided to enter the pattern on an extended base for runway 18. When I got close enough I saw an aircraft on the runway for takeoff. They were using runway 36. I crossed over into crosswind right traffic. I was really nervous and afraid that the engine was going to stop and there was nowhere to go except to the runway. At this point, all I could think about was getting on the ground safely. By this time I had to turn base to final. So I cleared final of any incoming aircraft, and made the approach. 2 aircraft were waiting to take the active when I turned final (about 1/4 mi -- could be less). I landed and exited the runway. I was at least safe, but highly nervous and shook up. After parking the aircraft, I went to the office to close the flight plan and get fuel. After a conversation with the tower operator and trying to explain what happened, I went back to the aircraft to see if I could see what happened to the radio. I discovered the microphone and phone jacks were pulled loose. I must have accidentally done it when I turned around to examine the storage area earlier. I was somewhat numb at this point. I went back to the office and contacted the tower operator as to what I had found. He explained to me what I should have done with no radio. I just didn't think -- all I could see was the engine stopping, and just wanted to get on the ground. After the plane was fueled and the flight plan made to my home base, and still very unnerved, I took off, made a left downwind departure and returned to my home base. At this time my options for correction will be getting with an instructor and get a complete review of ATC procedures or quit flying, and right now that is pretty high on the list. One other thing -- most of my time has been operating in an uncontrolled airfield environment. Another thing -- if I continue, I will get with an instructor and do flts to a controled airfield. I have never lost a radio or been that low on fuel. I have learned a lot from this.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C152 FINDS HE IS UNABLE TO REFUEL AT DEST ARPT AND MUST CONTINUE TO NEARBY ARPT TO OBTAIN FUEL. HE ENCOUNTERS TURB AND IN TURNING TO ADJUST ITEMS BEHIND HIM HE APPARENTLY KNOCKS LOOSE THE RADIO CONNECTIONS. HE ENTERS THE TFC PATTERN WITH NO CONTACT AND AFRAID OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: ACFT TYPE: C152. THIS WAS TO BE A SIMPLE FLT FROM MY HOME BASE TO DEATH VALLEY (L06) AND RETURN. THE PLAN WAS TO GET THERE, HAVE A 2 HR GND TIME (TO REFUEL AND EAT) AS I DID NOT EAT BEFORE DEP. AFTER ARR, I FOUND THAT THEY HAD RAN OUT OF FUEL. I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT BACK TO MY HOME BASE. AT THIS TIME, I'M GETTING WORRIED BECAUSE I HAD TO BE BACK TO MY HOME BASE BEFORE DARK. I'M NOT NIGHT QUALIFIED. I ELECTED TO GO TO HENDERSON, NV. HAD BEEN THERE ONCE BEFORE AND I KNEW I COULD GET FUEL, SO I LEFT DEATH VALLEY. THOUGHT I COULD EAT WHEN I GOT THERE. AT THIS TIME I WAS MONITORING FLT SVC AFTER ACTIVATING THE FLT PLAN. WHEN I CROSSED THE MOUNTAIN RANGE W OF LAS VEGAS, I ENCOUNTERED SOME MODERATE TURB. I HAD SOME ITEMS IN THE STORAGE AREA BEHIND THE SEAT (A CAMERA, OIL, SMALL LADDER). I TURNED AROUND TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS OK. I STARTED DSNDING TO GET BELOW 4000 FT BEFORE I GOT TOO CLOSE TO LAS VEGAS. I WAS REALLY STARTING TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH FUEL TO GET THERE. TRIED CALLING HENDERSON, NO RESPONSE. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS, THEN MY RADIO WAS NOT WORKING. I LEVELED OFF ABOUT 3200-3300 FT MSL. I WAS MORE WORRIED THEN THAT THE ENG WAS GOING TO STOP. THE WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE LIGHT AND I THOUGHT THE RWY 18 WOULD BE IN USE. I KNEW THAT THEY USED R TFC FOR RWY 18. WHEN I FINALLY LOCATED THE ARPT, I SAW NO OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA TO GIVE ME A CLUE AS TO WHAT WAS WHAT. I DECIDED TO ENTER THE PATTERN ON AN EXTENDED BASE FOR RWY 18. WHEN I GOT CLOSE ENOUGH I SAW AN ACFT ON THE RWY FOR TKOF. THEY WERE USING RWY 36. I CROSSED OVER INTO XWIND R TFC. I WAS REALLY NERVOUS AND AFRAID THAT THE ENG WAS GOING TO STOP AND THERE WAS NOWHERE TO GO EXCEPT TO THE RWY. AT THIS POINT, ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS GETTING ON THE GND SAFELY. BY THIS TIME I HAD TO TURN BASE TO FINAL. SO I CLRED FINAL OF ANY INCOMING ACFT, AND MADE THE APCH. 2 ACFT WERE WAITING TO TAKE THE ACTIVE WHEN I TURNED FINAL (ABOUT 1/4 MI -- COULD BE LESS). I LANDED AND EXITED THE RWY. I WAS AT LEAST SAFE, BUT HIGHLY NERVOUS AND SHOOK UP. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT, I WENT TO THE OFFICE TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN AND GET FUEL. AFTER A CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR OPERATOR AND TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED, I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT TO SEE IF I COULD SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RADIO. I DISCOVERED THE MIKE AND PHONE JACKS WERE PULLED LOOSE. I MUST HAVE ACCIDENTALLY DONE IT WHEN I TURNED AROUND TO EXAMINE THE STORAGE AREA EARLIER. I WAS SOMEWHAT NUMB AT THIS POINT. I WENT BACK TO THE OFFICE AND CONTACTED THE TWR OPERATOR AS TO WHAT I HAD FOUND. HE EXPLAINED TO ME WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WITH NO RADIO. I JUST DIDN'T THINK -- ALL I COULD SEE WAS THE ENG STOPPING, AND JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE GND. AFTER THE PLANE WAS FUELED AND THE FLT PLAN MADE TO MY HOME BASE, AND STILL VERY UNNERVED, I TOOK OFF, MADE A L DOWNWIND DEP AND RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE. AT THIS TIME MY OPTIONS FOR CORRECTION WILL BE GETTING WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND GET A COMPLETE REVIEW OF ATC PROCS OR QUIT FLYING, AND RIGHT NOW THAT IS PRETTY HIGH ON THE LIST. ONE OTHER THING -- MOST OF MY TIME HAS BEEN OPERATING IN AN UNCTLED AIRFIELD ENVIRONMENT. ANOTHER THING -- IF I CONTINUE, I WILL GET WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND DO FLTS TO A CTLED AIRFIELD. I HAVE NEVER LOST A RADIO OR BEEN THAT LOW ON FUEL. I HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS.

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.