Narrative:

On departure of runway 9R of fll climbing to 1500 ft and transitioning to opf began losing mp and RPM's and began wind milling at 1200 ft. I responded to the failure of the engine with carburetor icing to blame. I pulled the carburetor heat lever full, and tried to restart, unsuccessful, I switched to a full tank (right tip), turned on the boost pump and tried for another restart which proved to be unsuccessful. After the restarts I lost a considerable amount of altitude and found myself at best glide speed at 750 ft. I knew I had no more time to continue troubleshooting the engine failure, so I found the best place to land was the top of a bridge on sheridan boulevard against on-coming motor vehicle traffic. I opted to land against traffic so motorist would be able to see me and divert. I landed very slow and soft on top of the bridge, which helped me avoid a low power line that ran across the street at about 30 ft in the air, which was located just down the street from the bridge. The motorists coming towards me avoided me and had ample time to get to safety. After coming to a complete stop and shutting down all electrical system, I noticed that the cherokee six did not have a scratch on it. Now the big question was how to get the airplane out of there. To avoid this situation I should have taken off on a full tank of fuel and kept the boost pump on. I honestly think I ran out of fuel in the left main tank in which I was operating in and when I switched over to the right tip, it did not have enough time to get the air out of the line and begin sucking fuel for altitude did not permit. Always remember to switch tanks on cherokees every 20 mins and always take off on a full tank, for the left main was empty in which I took off with. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was checked and found to be okay with no discrepancies in the fuel system. Pilot admits fuel management error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA36 PLT ENCOUNTERS FUEL STARVATION AT 1500 FT AFTER TKOF FROM FLL, FL, RESULTS IN AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: ON DEP OF RWY 9R OF FLL CLBING TO 1500 FT AND TRANSITIONING TO OPF BEGAN LOSING MP AND RPM'S AND BEGAN WIND MILLING AT 1200 FT. I RESPONDED TO THE FAILURE OF THE ENG WITH CARB ICING TO BLAME. I PULLED THE CARB HEAT LEVER FULL, AND TRIED TO RESTART, UNSUCCESSFUL, I SWITCHED TO A FULL TANK (R TIP), TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP AND TRIED FOR ANOTHER RESTART WHICH PROVED TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER THE RESTARTS I LOST A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF ALT AND FOUND MYSELF AT BEST GLIDE SPD AT 750 FT. I KNEW I HAD NO MORE TIME TO CONTINUE TROUBLESHOOTING THE ENG FAILURE, SO I FOUND THE BEST PLACE TO LAND WAS THE TOP OF A BRIDGE ON SHERIDAN BOULEVARD AGAINST ON-COMING MOTOR VEHICLE TFC. I OPTED TO LAND AGAINST TFC SO MOTORIST WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ME AND DIVERT. I LANDED VERY SLOW AND SOFT ON TOP OF THE BRIDGE, WHICH HELPED ME AVOID A LOW PWR LINE THAT RAN ACROSS THE STREET AT ABOUT 30 FT IN THE AIR, WHICH WAS LOCATED JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM THE BRIDGE. THE MOTORISTS COMING TOWARDS ME AVOIDED ME AND HAD AMPLE TIME TO GET TO SAFETY. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AND SHUTTING DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL SYS, I NOTICED THAT THE CHEROKEE SIX DID NOT HAVE A SCRATCH ON IT. NOW THE BIG QUESTION WAS HOW TO GET THE AIRPLANE OUT OF THERE. TO AVOID THIS SIT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF ON A FULL TANK OF FUEL AND KEPT THE BOOST PUMP ON. I HONESTLY THINK I RAN OUT OF FUEL IN THE L MAIN TANK IN WHICH I WAS OPERATING IN AND WHEN I SWITCHED OVER TO THE R TIP, IT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET THE AIR OUT OF THE LINE AND BEGIN SUCKING FUEL FOR ALT DID NOT PERMIT. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO SWITCH TANKS ON CHEROKEES EVERY 20 MINS AND ALWAYS TAKE OFF ON A FULL TANK, FOR THE L MAIN WAS EMPTY IN WHICH I TOOK OFF WITH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS CHKED AND FOUND TO BE OKAY WITH NO DISCREPANCIES IN THE FUEL SYS. PLT ADMITS FUEL MGMNT ERROR.

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.