Narrative:

On the morning of jan/xa/00, my friend and I agreed to go fly in his C120. I have about 100 hours tailwheel experience, but not much time in this type and I was anxious to get more experience in it. Because of weight considerations we filled the right tank to the top and left a bit over a 1/3 in the other tank. Our trip was pleasant and uneventful. We did 2 or 3 touch-and-goes when we returned to the home field. After the last landing, we taxied to the ramp. My friend got out and told me to take it around a few times. I was delighted at the opportunity and taxied back to the active runway. I did 5 or 6 lndgs, always with company in the pattern, but was not satisfied with my work. I was determined to do 3 good ones then come back in. When I was almost at pattern altitude on the latest climb out I noticed the gauge read 1/4 or less. Startled, I leveled off and switched tanks, noting that the approach end of runway 33 was just below me. The gauge read over 1/3. I was relieved and continued my pattern. As I climbed out on upwind from the next touchdown the engine began to stumble. I was no more than 400 ft off the ground, if that much, and as the airplane started down I checked the throttle and mixture were full in while I looked for a place to land. The wires ahead of me seemed too close to risk so I made a left turn toward an open area that seemed flat. I tried to glide as well as possible . Almost immediately after touchdown I was thrown forward. The next moment I was upside down. I unbuckled the seatbelt and crawled outside, then reached in and turned off the magnetos and master switch. Fortunately, I was unhurt. The aircraft is at this writing expected to be repairable. My mind set was wrong from the beginning when I took off solo. First, because I fly gliders almost every day, I am used to the sensation of an aircraft that stays aloft easily without power and I think I have developed an unhealthy fearlessness of unpwred flight that is subconscious. That is not a good attitude to operate from whey flying power planes. Second, all my power time in the past few months has been in larger airplanes with large fuel tanks. I now realize that the difference between 1/3 and the 1/4 full in the C120 is just 1 gallon, or 10 mins of fuel. Obviously that is close enough to make me want to head for home when I'm near 1/3 on my fullest tank. The third and perhaps worse problem was my determination to succeed on my goal of 'perfect lndgs' without regard to other factors. In the future I will know my aircraft and bring into sharp focus the physical limitations which it presents to me. I will not allow my situational awareness to be distraction by my personal expectations and goals for a given flight operation. And I will understand the difference between a power plane and a glider.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C120 PLT FLIES TO FUEL STARVATION IN THE TFC PATTERN AT 61B AND LANDS OFF FIELD.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JAN/XA/00, MY FRIEND AND I AGREED TO GO FLY IN HIS C120. I HAVE ABOUT 100 HRS TAILWHEEL EXPERIENCE, BUT NOT MUCH TIME IN THIS TYPE AND I WAS ANXIOUS TO GET MORE EXPERIENCE IN IT. BECAUSE OF WT CONSIDERATIONS WE FILLED THE R TANK TO THE TOP AND LEFT A BIT OVER A 1/3 IN THE OTHER TANK. OUR TRIP WAS PLEASANT AND UNEVENTFUL. WE DID 2 OR 3 TOUCH-AND-GOES WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE HOME FIELD. AFTER THE LAST LNDG, WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP. MY FRIEND GOT OUT AND TOLD ME TO TAKE IT AROUND A FEW TIMES. I WAS DELIGHTED AT THE OPPORTUNITY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE ACTIVE RWY. I DID 5 OR 6 LNDGS, ALWAYS WITH COMPANY IN THE PATTERN, BUT WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH MY WORK. I WAS DETERMINED TO DO 3 GOOD ONES THEN COME BACK IN. WHEN I WAS ALMOST AT PATTERN ALT ON THE LATEST CLBOUT I NOTICED THE GAUGE READ 1/4 OR LESS. STARTLED, I LEVELED OFF AND SWITCHED TANKS, NOTING THAT THE APCH END OF RWY 33 WAS JUST BELOW ME. THE GAUGE READ OVER 1/3. I WAS RELIEVED AND CONTINUED MY PATTERN. AS I CLBED OUT ON UPWIND FROM THE NEXT TOUCHDOWN THE ENG BEGAN TO STUMBLE. I WAS NO MORE THAN 400 FT OFF THE GND, IF THAT MUCH, AND AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED DOWN I CHKED THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE WERE FULL IN WHILE I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. THE WIRES AHEAD OF ME SEEMED TOO CLOSE TO RISK SO I MADE A L TURN TOWARD AN OPEN AREA THAT SEEMED FLAT. I TRIED TO GLIDE AS WELL AS POSSIBLE . ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN I WAS THROWN FORWARD. THE NEXT MOMENT I WAS UPSIDE DOWN. I UNBUCKLED THE SEATBELT AND CRAWLED OUTSIDE, THEN REACHED IN AND TURNED OFF THE MAGNETOS AND MASTER SWITCH. FORTUNATELY, I WAS UNHURT. THE ACFT IS AT THIS WRITING EXPECTED TO BE REPAIRABLE. MY MIND SET WAS WRONG FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN I TOOK OFF SOLO. FIRST, BECAUSE I FLY GLIDERS ALMOST EVERY DAY, I AM USED TO THE SENSATION OF AN ACFT THAT STAYS ALOFT EASILY WITHOUT PWR AND I THINK I HAVE DEVELOPED AN UNHEALTHY FEARLESSNESS OF UNPWRED FLT THAT IS SUBCONSCIOUS. THAT IS NOT A GOOD ATTITUDE TO OPERATE FROM WHEY FLYING PWR PLANES. SECOND, ALL MY PWR TIME IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAS BEEN IN LARGER AIRPLANES WITH LARGE FUEL TANKS. I NOW REALIZE THAT THE DIFFERENCE BTWN 1/3 AND THE 1/4 FULL IN THE C120 IS JUST 1 GALLON, OR 10 MINS OF FUEL. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO MAKE ME WANT TO HEAD FOR HOME WHEN I'M NEAR 1/3 ON MY FULLEST TANK. THE THIRD AND PERHAPS WORSE PROB WAS MY DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED ON MY GOAL OF 'PERFECT LNDGS' WITHOUT REGARD TO OTHER FACTORS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL KNOW MY ACFT AND BRING INTO SHARP FOCUS THE PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS WHICH IT PRESENTS TO ME. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO BE DISTR BY MY PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS AND GOALS FOR A GIVEN FLT OP. AND I WILL UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BTWN A PWR PLANE AND A GLIDER.

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.