Narrative:

I was en route on a cross country flight from F39 direct afo. The purpose was to take my airplane to the pitts factory. I had planned my trip when I made my first mistake. I landed at hanksville, ut, planning on refueling. When I realized that there was no fuel, no phone, and after checking my remaining fuel, I decided to make my next stop at U34, green river for fuel. When I departed I had approximately 13 gals of fuel or 45-50 mins fuel. About 15 mins into the flight I lost satellite reception on my hand held GPS. Becoming concerned I climbed and went to 122.5 and asked for assistance. My pan-pan was received by a commercial airliner who assisted me in trying to contact ZLC. He relayed a transponder squawk frequency which I hoped could get me a radar contact. Because of the uncertainty of my location I was hesitant to leave the area. I could see a road which I believed went to green river, but I was not sure of the location. At this point my fuel flow was showing 3 gals remaining. This meant I had about 3 gals in main tank and 5 gals in reserve or 8 gals total. After surveying the terrain and realizing I only had about 30 mins fuel till empty I decided to land on the highway. I circled the highway for a while hoping I could again receive the satellite for navigation. After another 5-10 mins I flew the pattern, surveyed for traffic and made an uneventful landing. The incident could have been avoided by better planning and or having more than 1 NAVAID. Mins after I landed, GPS signals were strong and clear, indicating I was sitting on highway 24 just outside green river.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PTS2 PLT MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE ON A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM F39 DIRECT AFO. THE PURPOSE WAS TO TAKE MY AIRPLANE TO THE PITTS FACTORY. I HAD PLANNED MY TRIP WHEN I MADE MY FIRST MISTAKE. I LANDED AT HANKSVILLE, UT, PLANNING ON REFUELING. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL, NO PHONE, AND AFTER CHKING MY REMAINING FUEL, I DECIDED TO MAKE MY NEXT STOP AT U34, GREEN RIVER FOR FUEL. WHEN I DEPARTED I HAD APPROX 13 GALS OF FUEL OR 45-50 MINS FUEL. ABOUT 15 MINS INTO THE FLT I LOST SATELLITE RECEPTION ON MY HAND HELD GPS. BECOMING CONCERNED I CLBED AND WENT TO 122.5 AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. MY PAN-PAN WAS RECEIVED BY A COMMERCIAL AIRLINER WHO ASSISTED ME IN TRYING TO CONTACT ZLC. HE RELAYED A XPONDER SQUAWK FREQ WHICH I HOPED COULD GET ME A RADAR CONTACT. BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF MY LOCATION I WAS HESITANT TO LEAVE THE AREA. I COULD SEE A ROAD WHICH I BELIEVED WENT TO GREEN RIVER, BUT I WAS NOT SURE OF THE LOCATION. AT THIS POINT MY FUEL FLOW WAS SHOWING 3 GALS REMAINING. THIS MEANT I HAD ABOUT 3 GALS IN MAIN TANK AND 5 GALS IN RESERVE OR 8 GALS TOTAL. AFTER SURVEYING THE TERRAIN AND REALIZING I ONLY HAD ABOUT 30 MINS FUEL TILL EMPTY I DECIDED TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY. I CIRCLED THE HIGHWAY FOR A WHILE HOPING I COULD AGAIN RECEIVE THE SATELLITE FOR NAV. AFTER ANOTHER 5-10 MINS I FLEW THE PATTERN, SURVEYED FOR TFC AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY BETTER PLANNING AND OR HAVING MORE THAN 1 NAVAID. MINS AFTER I LANDED, GPS SIGNALS WERE STRONG AND CLR, INDICATING I WAS SITTING ON HIGHWAY 24 JUST OUTSIDE GREEN RIVER.

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.