Pilot flies his new airplane till it is out of fuel. He lands in the corn field.

Attributes
ACN	453208
Time
Date	199910
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rfd.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rfd.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	453208
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying my just purchased CJ6A from columbus, ngb to my home field in lake in the hills, il. I was planning a fuel stop at dbq, ia, but had good tailwinds so elected to continue on to rfd, il, which still was in the fuel limits with a 30 min reserve (I thought). I was led to believe from the training syllabus and my airplane chkout that the aircraft had 3 hours of fuel. With my ground speed and distance to rfd, I figured I would land by 2 hours 20 mins, so I figured I was well within limits. I was on right base to land runway 19 at rfd and at 2 hours 15 mins the engine quit. I tried to go straight to the airport but saw I wasn't going to make it. So I elected to land in standing corn with gear and flaps up so it wouldn't FLIP over on its back. Walked away without a scratch, but airplane had damage to propeller and leading edges. I was taught to match mixture with throttle position, which I did over entire flight. I was basing my fuel strictly on time because of past experience with light aircraft fuel gauge not being that accurate. I feel if all aircraft had fuel flow meters, this type of incident wouldn't happen. I also will in the future not try to go close to the limits until I get a feel for how accurate the fuel gauges are, by experience in the actual aircraft. I learned a valuable lesson here and am very lucky to be able to tell about it without injury to myself or others on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLIES HIS NEW AIRPLANE TILL IT IS OUT OF FUEL. HE LANDS IN THE CORN FIELD.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY JUST PURCHASED CJ6A FROM COLUMBUS, NGB TO MY HOME FIELD IN LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL. I WAS PLANNING A FUEL STOP AT DBQ, IA, BUT HAD GOOD TAILWINDS SO ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON TO RFD, IL, WHICH STILL WAS IN THE FUEL LIMITS WITH A 30 MIN RESERVE (I THOUGHT). I WAS LED TO BELIEVE FROM THE TRAINING SYLLABUS AND MY AIRPLANE CHKOUT THAT THE ACFT HAD 3 HRS OF FUEL. WITH MY GND SPD AND DISTANCE TO RFD, I FIGURED I WOULD LAND BY 2 HRS 20 MINS, SO I FIGURED I WAS WELL WITHIN LIMITS. I WAS ON R BASE TO LAND RWY 19 AT RFD AND AT 2 HRS 15 MINS THE ENG QUIT. I TRIED TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE ARPT BUT SAW I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT. SO I ELECTED TO LAND IN STANDING CORN WITH GEAR AND FLAPS UP SO IT WOULDN'T FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. WALKED AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH, BUT AIRPLANE HAD DAMAGE TO PROP AND LEADING EDGES. I WAS TAUGHT TO MATCH MIXTURE WITH THROTTLE POS, WHICH I DID OVER ENTIRE FLT. I WAS BASING MY FUEL STRICTLY ON TIME BECAUSE OF PAST EXPERIENCE WITH LIGHT ACFT FUEL GAUGE NOT BEING THAT ACCURATE. I FEEL IF ALL ACFT HAD FUEL FLOW METERS, THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT WOULDN'T HAPPEN. I ALSO WILL IN THE FUTURE NOT TRY TO GO CLOSE TO THE LIMITS UNTIL I GET A FEEL FOR HOW ACCURATE THE FUEL GAUGES ARE, BY EXPERIENCE IN THE ACTUAL ACFT. I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON HERE AND AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO TELL ABOUT IT WITHOUT INJURY TO MYSELF OR OTHERS ON THE GND.

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.