Narrative:

On jan/xa/00, during a return trip from baja, mexico to tucson, az, I was required to make an off-field emergency landing in the middle of the desert. The trip started in the early morning where the FBO had placed 39 gallons of fuel in each tank. Visual inspection confirmed that amount of fuel. Upon arrival in san felipe, baja, 30 more gallons of fuel were ordered for the aircraft. The trip then proceeded to the west side of the baja peninsula where the plane was parked overnight. During preflight inspection for the return trip, I was unable to locate a ladder or any other device to get up high enough to visually inspect the fuel contents of the aircraft. The fuel gauges indicated over 1/2 tank in each of the wings. The indication was consistent with preflight planning and calculations. The trip proceeded to the east side of baja with a stop in san felipe. Prior to departure, the fuel gauges were indicating over 100 pounds of fuel in each tank. Approximately 50 mins into this leg, while on the right tank, the engine sputtered. The tank was immediately switched to the left tank and the engine ran smoothly. Both tanks were now indicating about 25 pounds. My intention at this point was to land at the nearest airport. The GPS indicated that sells, az, or rocky point, mexico, were the choices. I decided on the united states of america field, since I had cleared out of mexico. 5-10 mins later, the engine sputtered and quit. Both fuel tanks were tried with mixture rich and fuel boost pump activated. Right seat passenger read off the emergency checklist as aircraft and passenger were prepared for emergency landing. Transponder was set to 7700 and FSS was contacted with a mayday call. The plane was landed safely on a small dirt road about 20 mi from any civilization. Law enforcement helicopters found us with the use of a handheld GPS while communicating on 121.5. All occupants of the aircraft were unharmed. The right wing of the aircraft sustained very minor damage when it struck a cactus. At this time it has not been determined what caused this incident. Several factors could be considered. Poor fuel quality, faulty fuel gauges, fuel was siphoned from the aircraft while sitting overnight, and/or a fuel leak, especially during the last leg. Calculating and recalculating the trip fuel requirements shows a very conservative 80 gallons of fuel for the round trip. Records show that 108 gallons were supposedly placed in the airplane. Throughout the entire trip, proper leaning procedures were followed. Fuel gauges did indicate expected fuel levels until the last leg of the trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT MADE A FORCED LNDG AFTER HIS ENG QUIT.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/00, DURING A RETURN TRIP FROM BAJA, MEXICO TO TUCSON, AZ, I WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE AN OFF-FIELD EMER LNDG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. THE TRIP STARTED IN THE EARLY MORNING WHERE THE FBO HAD PLACED 39 GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. VISUAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED THAT AMOUNT OF FUEL. UPON ARR IN SAN FELIPE, BAJA, 30 MORE GALLONS OF FUEL WERE ORDERED FOR THE ACFT. THE TRIP THEN PROCEEDED TO THE W SIDE OF THE BAJA PENINSULA WHERE THE PLANE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT. DURING PREFLT INSPECTION FOR THE RETURN TRIP, I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A LADDER OR ANY OTHER DEVICE TO GET UP HIGH ENOUGH TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE FUEL CONTENTS OF THE ACFT. THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED OVER 1/2 TANK IN EACH OF THE WINGS. THE INDICATION WAS CONSISTENT WITH PREFLT PLANNING AND CALCULATIONS. THE TRIP PROCEEDED TO THE E SIDE OF BAJA WITH A STOP IN SAN FELIPE. PRIOR TO DEP, THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING OVER 100 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. APPROX 50 MINS INTO THIS LEG, WHILE ON THE R TANK, THE ENG SPUTTERED. THE TANK WAS IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO THE L TANK AND THE ENG RAN SMOOTHLY. BOTH TANKS WERE NOW INDICATING ABOUT 25 LBS. MY INTENTION AT THIS POINT WAS TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT. THE GPS INDICATED THAT SELLS, AZ, OR ROCKY POINT, MEXICO, WERE THE CHOICES. I DECIDED ON THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIELD, SINCE I HAD CLRED OUT OF MEXICO. 5-10 MINS LATER, THE ENG SPUTTERED AND QUIT. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE TRIED WITH MIXTURE RICH AND FUEL BOOST PUMP ACTIVATED. R SEAT PAX READ OFF THE EMER CHKLIST AS ACFT AND PAX WERE PREPARED FOR EMER LNDG. XPONDER WAS SET TO 7700 AND FSS WAS CONTACTED WITH A MAYDAY CALL. THE PLANE WAS LANDED SAFELY ON A SMALL DIRT ROAD ABOUT 20 MI FROM ANY CIVILIZATION. LAW ENFORCEMENT HELIS FOUND US WITH THE USE OF A HANDHELD GPS WHILE COMMUNICATING ON 121.5. ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT WERE UNHARMED. THE R WING OF THE ACFT SUSTAINED VERY MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK A CACTUS. AT THIS TIME IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED WHAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. SEVERAL FACTORS COULD BE CONSIDERED. POOR FUEL QUALITY, FAULTY FUEL GAUGES, FUEL WAS SIPHONED FROM THE ACFT WHILE SITTING OVERNIGHT, AND/OR A FUEL LEAK, ESPECIALLY DURING THE LAST LEG. CALCULATING AND RECALCULATING THE TRIP FUEL REQUIREMENTS SHOWS A VERY CONSERVATIVE 80 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR THE ROUND TRIP. RECORDS SHOW THAT 108 GALLONS WERE SUPPOSEDLY PLACED IN THE AIRPLANE. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TRIP, PROPER LEANING PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. FUEL GAUGES DID INDICATE EXPECTED FUEL LEVELS UNTIL THE LAST LEG OF THE TRIP.

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.