Narrative:

I was on a flight from twin falls, identification, to mccarren field in las vegas, nv. The flight took approximately 3 1/2 hours. I topped off my tanks in twin falls so I had 80 gallons of fuel. I departed using the left fuel tank. After approximately 1 hour, I switched to the right tank. After approximately 45 mins, I switched again from my right tank to my left tank. After approximately 1 more hour, I switched again to the right tank. I believe that shortly after that time I became confused. Just prior to mormon mesa VOR, I looked at my watch and at the fuel gauges. I felt that I had been on my right tank for an excessive amount of time. At mormon mesa, I switched again to my left tank thinking I had more fuel in that tank than in the right tank. On base to runway 19R at las vegas, at approximately 1500 ft AGL, my engine sputtered. Both fuel gauges showed approximately 1/2 full. I switched tanks and attempted to restart my engine. When it did not start, I switched back to the left tank. I still felt that I had more fuel in the left tank than the right tank. I declared an emergency and turned toward the runway. The tower told me to try to land on any runway. I realized that I would not make the runway, told the tower, and looked for a place to land. I saw many streets and headed for the closest. It was tropicana boulevard. I was able to dodge a traffic light xbeam and land without incident. I had enough forward momentum to taxi into a driveway and off the street. Once the plane was stopped, I got out and used my penlight flashlight to look into the fuel tanks. I could see fuel in the right tank. When I opened the left tank, I saw the fuel bladder sucked up into the neck of the fuel filler cap. I did not give that much thought. Fortunately, there was no damage to the plane and it was towed to the airport. The next morning, I put fuel into the plane. The left tank took 38.5 gallons and the right tank took 12.5 gallons. There were streaks of blue on the left wing, aft of the fuel cap. I flew the plane to sna for maintenance. The mechanic told me he had been planning to put in new fuel cap seals. He felt the old ones were worn. He replaced the seals in both fuel caps. I am certain that the faulty seal in the left fuel cap allowed fuel to be siphoned out of the left tank. The fact that the fuel bladder was sucked up into the filler neck and there were blue streaks on the wing surface aft of the left fuel cap lends credence to this theory. It was night and I was not able to see any fuel leak. I did not have a problem on the trip up to twin falls, but the temperature on the return trip was much colder and I feel the low temperature also was a factor in the failure of the fuel cap seal. Although the loss of fuel was due to a faulty seal, my confusion and failure to keep track of which tank I had been using the most contributed to the incident. Had I not been confused, I would have stayed on the right tank in which I had more than adequate fuel to complete the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot was new to the aircraft. Analyst counseled reporter to get a thorough chkout with a bonanza qualified instructor and have the new aircraft checked by a bonanza qualified mechanic. The pilot considered himself lucky that no aircraft damage occurred in his off airport night landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 PLT HAD FUEL STARVATION AND OFF ARPT LNDG IN LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM TWIN FALLS, ID, TO MCCARREN FIELD IN LAS VEGAS, NV. THE FLT TOOK APPROX 3 1/2 HRS. I TOPPED OFF MY TANKS IN TWIN FALLS SO I HAD 80 GALLONS OF FUEL. I DEPARTED USING THE L FUEL TANK. AFTER APPROX 1 HR, I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK. AFTER APPROX 45 MINS, I SWITCHED AGAIN FROM MY R TANK TO MY L TANK. AFTER APPROX 1 MORE HR, I SWITCHED AGAIN TO THE R TANK. I BELIEVE THAT SHORTLY AFTER THAT TIME I BECAME CONFUSED. JUST PRIOR TO MORMON MESA VOR, I LOOKED AT MY WATCH AND AT THE FUEL GAUGES. I FELT THAT I HAD BEEN ON MY R TANK FOR AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME. AT MORMON MESA, I SWITCHED AGAIN TO MY L TANK THINKING I HAD MORE FUEL IN THAT TANK THAN IN THE R TANK. ON BASE TO RWY 19R AT LAS VEGAS, AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL, MY ENG SPUTTERED. BOTH FUEL GAUGES SHOWED APPROX 1/2 FULL. I SWITCHED TANKS AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART MY ENG. WHEN IT DID NOT START, I SWITCHED BACK TO THE L TANK. I STILL FELT THAT I HAD MORE FUEL IN THE L TANK THAN THE R TANK. I DECLARED AN EMER AND TURNED TOWARD THE RWY. THE TWR TOLD ME TO TRY TO LAND ON ANY RWY. I REALIZED THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE THE RWY, TOLD THE TWR, AND LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I SAW MANY STREETS AND HEADED FOR THE CLOSEST. IT WAS TROPICANA BOULEVARD. I WAS ABLE TO DODGE A TFC LIGHT XBEAM AND LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD ENOUGH FORWARD MOMENTUM TO TAXI INTO A DRIVEWAY AND OFF THE STREET. ONCE THE PLANE WAS STOPPED, I GOT OUT AND USED MY PENLIGHT FLASHLIGHT TO LOOK INTO THE FUEL TANKS. I COULD SEE FUEL IN THE R TANK. WHEN I OPENED THE L TANK, I SAW THE FUEL BLADDER SUCKED UP INTO THE NECK OF THE FUEL FILLER CAP. I DID NOT GIVE THAT MUCH THOUGHT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE ARPT. THE NEXT MORNING, I PUT FUEL INTO THE PLANE. THE L TANK TOOK 38.5 GALLONS AND THE R TANK TOOK 12.5 GALLONS. THERE WERE STREAKS OF BLUE ON THE L WING, AFT OF THE FUEL CAP. I FLEW THE PLANE TO SNA FOR MAINT. THE MECH TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN PLANNING TO PUT IN NEW FUEL CAP SEALS. HE FELT THE OLD ONES WERE WORN. HE REPLACED THE SEALS IN BOTH FUEL CAPS. I AM CERTAIN THAT THE FAULTY SEAL IN THE L FUEL CAP ALLOWED FUEL TO BE SIPHONED OUT OF THE L TANK. THE FACT THAT THE FUEL BLADDER WAS SUCKED UP INTO THE FILLER NECK AND THERE WERE BLUE STREAKS ON THE WING SURFACE AFT OF THE L FUEL CAP LENDS CREDENCE TO THIS THEORY. IT WAS NIGHT AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE ANY FUEL LEAK. I DID NOT HAVE A PROB ON THE TRIP UP TO TWIN FALLS, BUT THE TEMP ON THE RETURN TRIP WAS MUCH COLDER AND I FEEL THE LOW TEMP ALSO WAS A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL CAP SEAL. ALTHOUGH THE LOSS OF FUEL WAS DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL, MY CONFUSION AND FAILURE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHICH TANK I HAD BEEN USING THE MOST CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. HAD I NOT BEEN CONFUSED, I WOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE R TANK IN WHICH I HAD MORE THAN ADEQUATE FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT WAS NEW TO THE ACFT. ANALYST COUNSELED RPTR TO GET A THOROUGH CHKOUT WITH A BONANZA QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR AND HAVE THE NEW ACFT CHKED BY A BONANZA QUALIFIED MECH. THE PLT CONSIDERED HIMSELF LUCKY THAT NO ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED IN HIS OFF ARPT NIGHT LNDG.

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.