GA pilot declared emergency due to fuel starvation.

Attributes
ACN	436769
Time
Date	199905
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cdw.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl single value : 2300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cdw.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 287 flight time type : 254
ASRS Report	436769
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel gage other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed home airport of hef en route dxr with an expected flight time between 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Passed caldwell over my right wing, and then directly over lincoln park (a non-twred field north of caldwell), monitoring caldwell tower frequency for traffic information. 5 mins or less after passing lincoln park, the engine dropped to near idle, resurged, and dropped again. My immediate reaction was to push the mixture to full rich and pitch to best glide speed. With both of these established and the engine apparently running at 1/2 power, I turned right to head toward either lincoln park or caldwell. With glide and turn toward destination established, I called mayday on caldwell tower frequency. Caldwell tower immediately ordered all aircraft to remain clear. Caldwell cleared me for straight-in approach and instructed me to squawk 7700. When radar contact was established they idented me as 6 mi away. At this point the engine again lost power. I told caldwell I would be unable to make the field and requested vectors to the nearby non-twred field. They instructed me to turn right approximately 90 degrees to 260 degrees, and lincoln park was 4 mi distant. The engine was effectively idle at this point and I would not glide more than 1 mi. I idented a long school yard with multiple fields and a racetrack that seemed to be a good option. I informed caldwell that that was my intended landing spot. With glide established and the field made, I attempted to figure out the engine problem. Fuel and fire was my thought: electrical system looked good, but fuel -- I realized I had never switched wing tanks since taking off 2 hours earlier. I checked my approach speed and trajectory once again and then immediately set to restarting the engine. Fuel selector from the right (empty) to the left (full) tank. Primed 3 quick times. Starter engaged. The engine did not start. I realized the line was unpressurized. Fuel pump on. Prime again. Starter engaged. The engine started. I established climb and my original (northbound) heading. I informed caldwell tower that the cause of the engine out was found and fixed, and apologized quickly but intensely for the extreme disturbance of the past mins.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT DECLARED EMER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED HOME ARPT OF HEF ENRTE DXR WITH AN EXPECTED FLT TIME BTWN 2 - 2 1/2 HRS. PASSED CALDWELL OVER MY R WING, AND THEN DIRECTLY OVER LINCOLN PARK (A NON-TWRED FIELD N OF CALDWELL), MONITORING CALDWELL TWR FREQ FOR TFC INFO. 5 MINS OR LESS AFTER PASSING LINCOLN PARK, THE ENG DROPPED TO NEAR IDLE, RESURGED, AND DROPPED AGAIN. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PUSH THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH AND PITCH TO BEST GLIDE SPD. WITH BOTH OF THESE ESTABLISHED AND THE ENG APPARENTLY RUNNING AT 1/2 PWR, I TURNED R TO HEAD TOWARD EITHER LINCOLN PARK OR CALDWELL. WITH GLIDE AND TURN TOWARD DEST ESTABLISHED, I CALLED MAYDAY ON CALDWELL TWR FREQ. CALDWELL TWR IMMEDIATELY ORDERED ALL ACFT TO REMAIN CLR. CALDWELL CLRED ME FOR STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK 7700. WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED THEY IDENTED ME AS 6 MI AWAY. AT THIS POINT THE ENG AGAIN LOST PWR. I TOLD CALDWELL I WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEARBY NON-TWRED FIELD. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN R APPROX 90 DEGS TO 260 DEGS, AND LINCOLN PARK WAS 4 MI DISTANT. THE ENG WAS EFFECTIVELY IDLE AT THIS POINT AND I WOULD NOT GLIDE MORE THAN 1 MI. I IDENTED A LONG SCHOOL YARD WITH MULTIPLE FIELDS AND A RACETRACK THAT SEEMED TO BE A GOOD OPTION. I INFORMED CALDWELL THAT THAT WAS MY INTENDED LNDG SPOT. WITH GLIDE ESTABLISHED AND THE FIELD MADE, I ATTEMPTED TO FIGURE OUT THE ENG PROB. FUEL AND FIRE WAS MY THOUGHT: ELECTRICAL SYS LOOKED GOOD, BUT FUEL -- I REALIZED I HAD NEVER SWITCHED WING TANKS SINCE TAKING OFF 2 HRS EARLIER. I CHKED MY APCH SPD AND TRAJECTORY ONCE AGAIN AND THEN IMMEDIATELY SET TO RESTARTING THE ENG. FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE R (EMPTY) TO THE L (FULL) TANK. PRIMED 3 QUICK TIMES. STARTER ENGAGED. THE ENG DID NOT START. I REALIZED THE LINE WAS UNPRESSURIZED. FUEL PUMP ON. PRIME AGAIN. STARTER ENGAGED. THE ENG STARTED. I ESTABLISHED CLB AND MY ORIGINAL (NBOUND) HDG. I INFORMED CALDWELL TWR THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENG OUT WAS FOUND AND FIXED, AND APOLOGIZED QUICKLY BUT INTENSELY FOR THE EXTREME DISTURBANCE OF THE PAST MINS.

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.