Narrative:

While dscnding for landing, the plane ran out of fuel. Insufficient altitude remained to glide to airport. Pilot elected to land on paved county road 3 miles south of airport. No power lines, trees or other obstructions were observed or encountered. A safe landing was made. No damage-no injuries. Before the flight fuel tanks were visually measured with a dipstick manufactured by abc products. Tanks showed a total of 50 gal useable. Flight was planned for 2.5 hours. Fuel burn at the altitude and power setting was calculated at 12.6 gph this should have provided not only fuel for the flight, but sufficient reserves for legal VFR flight planning purposes. At the time the plane ran out of gas the gauges showed between 5 and 10 gal each side. Hobbs time showed 2.7 hours. Tanks were completely dry upon landing. We had the fuel truck put 10 gal in each side. We gauged the tanks again. The dipstick read 17 gal per side this is 14 gal more than was put in the plane. I believe that instead of having 50 gal useable when we started the flight we had only 36 gal and the time of the flight bears this out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cessna 182 was fueled normally and tanks were checked full using a fuel hawk C182LR. The reporter said this fuel dipstick is commonly used throughout the industry. The reporter said this dipstick was calibrated for a cessna 182 with bladder tanks and if used on a later wet wing cessna 182 will result in a fuel shortage. The reporter said no manufacturers alert bulletin or any disclaimer was sent out to alert cessna 182 owners and operators.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA 182 MADE AN OFF FIELD LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION CAUSED BY A FUEL DIPSTICK NOT CALIBRATED FOR A LATER MODEL WET WING ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE DSCNDING FOR LNDG, THE PLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL. INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE REMAINED TO GLIDE TO ARPT. PLT ELECTED TO LAND ON PAVED COUNTY ROAD 3 MILES S OF ARPT. NO POWER LINES, TREES OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS WERE OBSERVED OR ENCOUNTERED. A SAFE LANDING WAS MADE. NO DAMAGE-NO INJURIES. BEFORE THE FLT FUEL TANKS WERE VISUALLY MEASURED WITH A DIPSTICK MANUFACTURED BY ABC PRODUCTS. TANKS SHOWED A TOTAL OF 50 GAL USEABLE. FLT WAS PLANNED FOR 2.5 HRS. FUEL BURN AT THE ALTITUDE AND POWER SETTING WAS CALCULATED AT 12.6 GPH THIS SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED NOT ONLY FUEL FOR THE FLT, BUT SUFFICIENT RESERVES FOR LEGAL VFR FLT PLANNING PURPOSES. AT THE TIME THE PLANE RAN OUT OF GAS THE GAUGES SHOWED BTWN 5 AND 10 GAL EACH SIDE. HOBBS TIME SHOWED 2.7 HRS. TANKS WERE COMPLETELY DRY UPON LNDG. WE HAD THE FUEL TRUCK PUT 10 GAL IN EACH SIDE. WE GAUGED THE TANKS AGAIN. THE DIPSTICK READ 17 GAL PER SIDE THIS IS 14 GAL MORE THAN WAS PUT IN THE PLANE. I BELIEVE THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING 50 GAL USEABLE WHEN WE STARTED THE FLT WE HAD ONLY 36 GAL AND THE TIME OF THE FLT BEARS THIS OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CESSNA 182 WAS FUELED NORMALLY AND TANKS WERE CHKED FULL USING A FUEL HAWK C182LR. THE RPTR SAID THIS FUEL DIPSTICK IS COMMONLY USED THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. THE RPTR SAID THIS DIPSTICK WAS CALIBRATED FOR A CESSNA 182 WITH BLADDER TANKS AND IF USED ON A LATER WET WING CESSNA 182 WILL RESULT IN A FUEL SHORTAGE. THE RPTR SAID NO MANUFACTURERS ALERT BULLETIN OR ANY DISCLAIMER WAS SENT OUT TO ALERT CESSNA 182 OWNERS AND OPERATORS.

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.