Instructor and student run out of gas and make forced landing.

Attributes
ACN	463219
Time
Date	200002
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oun.airport
State Reference	OK
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
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 instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	463219
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My student and I were doing a cross country flight and 5 mins out from our airport of intended landing, we ran out of gas. We were in a C152 which has 4 hours of usable fuel on board. We planned the flight to be around 3 hours long. At about 2 hours 45 mins the engine started to sputter and I then declared an emergency and landed on a dirt road. Some contributing factors to this incident were a 40 KT headwind which then died, so our tailwind on the way back was not as strong as we estimated it would be. Also, the plane was not a great performer. We were getting about 2350 RPM out of it. A C152 should be able to get around 2500 RPM. I found out that the airplane burns around 7 gph with the mixture full rich, at cruise power. Human factors: I visually check the amount of fuel before we departed both at norman, ok, and in serman, tx. The tanks appeared to be fuel in norman and about 40% full in serman. It was also dark, so it was hard to tell. We figured that we had enough fuel to make the trip and have our night reserve on board, but the contributing factor of a tailwind that died and a poor performing aircraft, and we had a case of fuel starvation. The total trip is 214 NM. Some corrective actions that I have come up with are to know exactly how much fuel is in the aircraft, leaning the mixture properly, and to pad my fuel consumption for taxi, runup and climb out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT RUN OUT OF GAS AND MAKE FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE DOING A XCOUNTRY FLT AND 5 MINS OUT FROM OUR ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG, WE RAN OUT OF GAS. WE WERE IN A C152 WHICH HAS 4 HRS OF USABLE FUEL ON BOARD. WE PLANNED THE FLT TO BE AROUND 3 HRS LONG. AT ABOUT 2 HRS 45 MINS THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER AND I THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED ON A DIRT ROAD. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE A 40 KT HEADWIND WHICH THEN DIED, SO OUR TAILWIND ON THE WAY BACK WAS NOT AS STRONG AS WE ESTIMATED IT WOULD BE. ALSO, THE PLANE WAS NOT A GREAT PERFORMER. WE WERE GETTING ABOUT 2350 RPM OUT OF IT. A C152 SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AROUND 2500 RPM. I FOUND OUT THAT THE AIRPLANE BURNS AROUND 7 GPH WITH THE MIXTURE FULL RICH, AT CRUISE PWR. HUMAN FACTORS: I VISUALLY CHK THE AMOUNT OF FUEL BEFORE WE DEPARTED BOTH AT NORMAN, OK, AND IN SERMAN, TX. THE TANKS APPEARED TO BE FUEL IN NORMAN AND ABOUT 40% FULL IN SERMAN. IT WAS ALSO DARK, SO IT WAS HARD TO TELL. WE FIGURED THAT WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE THE TRIP AND HAVE OUR NIGHT RESERVE ON BOARD, BUT THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR OF A TAILWIND THAT DIED AND A POOR PERFORMING ACFT, AND WE HAD A CASE OF FUEL STARVATION. THE TOTAL TRIP IS 214 NM. SOME CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT I HAVE COME UP WITH ARE TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE ACFT, LEANING THE MIXTURE PROPERLY, AND TO PAD MY FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR TAXI, RUNUP AND CLBOUT.

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.