Narrative:

This trip originated in ege where the plane was filled with fuel on the afternoon of may/sat/01. I watched the lineman fill the tanks then taxied the plane to parking. On sunday evening, I made 2 loops around the pattern completing 1 touch-and-go and 1 full stop landing for a total flying time of less than 3/10 of an hour and an estimated 2.46 gallons of fuel burned in the process. On monday morning, I flew the aircraft direct from eagle to bullfrog lake powell (U07) where with a total flying time of 2.5 hours and an estimated fuel burn of 18.5 gallons (given a cruising altitude of 8500 ft and 2500 RPM), the aircraft sat unattended at bullfrog for 3 days. On the afternoon of wednesday, I obtained 2 WX briefs (4 hours apart) over the phone. The briefer indicated that winds aloft were from the northwest at 18 KTS and that a front was moving in from the northwest but that the WX was currently VFR and was forecasted to remain that way along my route of flight until late that evening. The briefer also noted that canyonlands airport was closed for resurfacing. After receiving this information, I filed a VFR flight plan to gjt. Based on my fuel estimations, I calculated that we could return to gjt and refuel there. Flying time was estimated at 1.7 hours. The fuel gauges after we left bullfrog indicated 1/2 tank. I did a complete preflight in bullfrog, but did not visually inspect the tanks because I did not have any feasible means of getting up high enough to see in them and also felt confident that my calculations of fuel consumption since our last fueling were correct. My calculations were based on levels given in the owner's manual, even though experience with this aircraft has shown that it burns only 7.2 gph at this altitude. I believed that a flight to gjt could be conducted in a safe manner and calculated that we would arrive with 40 mins of usable fuel remaining -- well within the VFR fuel requirements. When we were over moab, I contacted flight watch and received updated WX for the remainder of our trip. The fuel gauges had dropped more than I had anticipated and if the WX had deteriorated in gjt, I was contemplating landing in canyonlands to obtain fuel. However, when the WX in gjt was reported as VFR and I could visually see that the WX along our route was also VFR, I made the decision to continue on the gjt rather than make a precautionary landing at a closed airport. I made sure that the fuel was leaned properly and, utilizing a GPS, made as direct of a route as our atl would allow to gjt. When we were 20 mi out from gjt, I listened to AWOS and began monitoring the tower frequency. A few mins later the engine quit abruptly. I checked the fuel switch to assure that it had not been inadvertently turned off and immediately began emergency procedures. We were at 8100 ft (approximately 1200 ft AGL) when the engine quit. I put the plane at its best glide, selected a road that was 90 degrees off the left wing for an emergency landing, issued a mayday to gjt tower and informed them that we had engine failure and were making an emergency landing. Tower responded and I replied with our current GPS coordinates. On descent, I activated the ELT and gave my husband instructions on how to position himself for the landing and what to do after we came to a stop. As we approached the road I noticed pwrlines which appeared too close to the road to make a safe landing. I immediately selected the field to the east of the road. The field had low grass and occasional trees common in the high arid colorado desert. Once the field was selected, I added full flaps. My husband, a student pilot, swears that the landing didn't feel much different than some of his on a real runway. On rollout, we bounced across a couple of shallow ditches and across a driveway. I held the nose high and applied the brakes as I felt prudent to keep us from flipping. Just before the driveway we went through a barbed wire fence and came to rest with the right wing against a small pinion tree. There were no injuries and we both immediately left the aircraft. All of the damage that has been noted on the aircraft to date appears to be the result of the fence. Much of this appears to be cosmetic and the FAA has determined that the aircraft can be flown out of its current location. I believe that this incident has 2 possible causes. First, we were 8 gallons (5 usable and 3 residual) short of fuel. The aircraft sat at an unattended airport, which is on the main road that people take when driving to bullfrog. Automatic and boat fuel in bullfrog is $2.60 per gallon. I believe it is completely possible that fuel was taken from the aircraft when it sat unattended for 3 days. The second possible cause of the incident is the result of several small things adding up to 2 empty fuel tanks. First, the aircraft was filled in the middle of a very hot afternoon but was flying in an air temperature of 60 degrees when the engine quit. Because fuel condenses as it cools, it's possible that the tanks were not completely full when we left eagle, even though the gauges indicated that they were and I had watched the lineman fill the plane. Second, the aircraft was parked on the north ramp at ege, a surface which appears level. I later learned from the previous owner that there is a slight slope on the ramp and that this may be enough to cause up to 3 gallons of fuel to drain out through an overflow valve in the wing. Third, when I checked the mixture over moab, I was able to lean it out a little more than we had used for the first hour of our flight. However, at this point, we had also gained about 600 ft of altitude from our original cruise altitude. One mechanic we spoke with after told us that operating at less than maximum lean could result in fuel consumption of up to 2 additional gph over the leaned out rates. However, the owners manual does not give any information on this fact. 200 of my 202 hours are in this specific aircraft and all are in the same make and model. My father and I flew this aircraft to the arctic circle and back, and I was PIC for about 95% of that trip. I believe that my experience in this particular aircraft was fundamental to the minimal damage that was endured during the landing. If the second possible scenario is true, then I attribute my few and irregular hours over the past 3 yrs to this occurrence. I flew for several hours last fall, made a long cross country (illinois to colorado) in the spring, and then flew prior to our lake powell trip to make sure that I was current. Prior to aug/00, I had not flown as PIC on a regular basis for several yrs. During each of my flts in the past few yrs, I made it a point to fuel up approximately every 3 hours even though I knew the aircraft had a range of 4.8 hours using the highest possible fuel consumption rates given at this altitude. It has been more than 5 yrs since I flew rtes where fuel was not readily available every 3 hours. I believe that if I had been flying long xcountries more frequently, I would have been aware of all of the circumstances that could contribute to this situation and would have taken action to obtain fuel at another airport in utah. In summary, at the time of departure, I believed that this flight could be conducted safely under the given circumstances and I made this decision after obtaining all information that was readily available to me. In the future, I will visually inspect the tanks with a calibrated stick, and will carry a small stepladder even given the limited weight capacity of this aircraft, so that it will always be physically feasible to do so. I am certain that intricate details related to rates of fuel consumption will be forever implanted in my mind and will be paramount in my flight planning from this point forward. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there was still a small amount of fuel remaining but wasn't certain if the amount was sufficient to sustain the engine's operation. Any small amount of water induced into the engine will cause a stoppage. The amount left was indicative of some other problems other than fuel sumps, possibly associated with the ramp slope and temperature when fueling. Fuel gauge problems were considered and will be checked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT PLT MAKES AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG WHEN THE ENG APPARENTLY STOPS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION 16 MI SW OF GJT, CO.

Narrative: THIS TRIP ORIGINATED IN EGE WHERE THE PLANE WAS FILLED WITH FUEL ON THE AFTERNOON OF MAY/SAT/01. I WATCHED THE LINEMAN FILL THE TANKS THEN TAXIED THE PLANE TO PARKING. ON SUNDAY EVENING, I MADE 2 LOOPS AROUND THE PATTERN COMPLETING 1 TOUCH-AND-GO AND 1 FULL STOP LNDG FOR A TOTAL FLYING TIME OF LESS THAN 3/10 OF AN HR AND AN ESTIMATED 2.46 GALLONS OF FUEL BURNED IN THE PROCESS. ON MONDAY MORNING, I FLEW THE ACFT DIRECT FROM EAGLE TO BULLFROG LAKE POWELL (U07) WHERE WITH A TOTAL FLYING TIME OF 2.5 HRS AND AN ESTIMATED FUEL BURN OF 18.5 GALLONS (GIVEN A CRUISING ALT OF 8500 FT AND 2500 RPM), THE ACFT SAT UNATTENDED AT BULLFROG FOR 3 DAYS. ON THE AFTERNOON OF WEDNESDAY, I OBTAINED 2 WX BRIEFS (4 HRS APART) OVER THE PHONE. THE BRIEFER INDICATED THAT WINDS ALOFT WERE FROM THE NW AT 18 KTS AND THAT A FRONT WAS MOVING IN FROM THE NW BUT THAT THE WX WAS CURRENTLY VFR AND WAS FORECASTED TO REMAIN THAT WAY ALONG MY RTE OF FLT UNTIL LATE THAT EVENING. THE BRIEFER ALSO NOTED THAT CANYONLANDS ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR RESURFACING. AFTER RECEIVING THIS INFO, I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN TO GJT. BASED ON MY FUEL ESTIMATIONS, I CALCULATED THAT WE COULD RETURN TO GJT AND REFUEL THERE. FLYING TIME WAS ESTIMATED AT 1.7 HRS. THE FUEL GAUGES AFTER WE LEFT BULLFROG INDICATED 1/2 TANK. I DID A COMPLETE PREFLT IN BULLFROG, BUT DID NOT VISUALLY INSPECT THE TANKS BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ANY FEASIBLE MEANS OF GETTING UP HIGH ENOUGH TO SEE IN THEM AND ALSO FELT CONFIDENT THAT MY CALCULATIONS OF FUEL CONSUMPTION SINCE OUR LAST FUELING WERE CORRECT. MY CALCULATIONS WERE BASED ON LEVELS GIVEN IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, EVEN THOUGH EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ACFT HAS SHOWN THAT IT BURNS ONLY 7.2 GPH AT THIS ALT. I BELIEVED THAT A FLT TO GJT COULD BE CONDUCTED IN A SAFE MANNER AND CALCULATED THAT WE WOULD ARRIVE WITH 40 MINS OF USABLE FUEL REMAINING -- WELL WITHIN THE VFR FUEL REQUIREMENTS. WHEN WE WERE OVER MOAB, I CONTACTED FLT WATCH AND RECEIVED UPDATED WX FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR TRIP. THE FUEL GAUGES HAD DROPPED MORE THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED AND IF THE WX HAD DETERIORATED IN GJT, I WAS CONTEMPLATING LNDG IN CANYONLANDS TO OBTAIN FUEL. HOWEVER, WHEN THE WX IN GJT WAS RPTED AS VFR AND I COULD VISUALLY SEE THAT THE WX ALONG OUR RTE WAS ALSO VFR, I MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE ON THE GJT RATHER THAN MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT A CLOSED ARPT. I MADE SURE THAT THE FUEL WAS LEANED PROPERLY AND, UTILIZING A GPS, MADE AS DIRECT OF A RTE AS OUR ATL WOULD ALLOW TO GJT. WHEN WE WERE 20 MI OUT FROM GJT, I LISTENED TO AWOS AND BEGAN MONITORING THE TWR FREQ. A FEW MINS LATER THE ENG QUIT ABRUPTLY. I CHKED THE FUEL SWITCH TO ASSURE THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN INADVERTENTLY TURNED OFF AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN EMER PROCS. WE WERE AT 8100 FT (APPROX 1200 FT AGL) WHEN THE ENG QUIT. I PUT THE PLANE AT ITS BEST GLIDE, SELECTED A ROAD THAT WAS 90 DEGS OFF THE L WING FOR AN EMER LNDG, ISSUED A MAYDAY TO GJT TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD ENG FAILURE AND WERE MAKING AN EMER LNDG. TWR RESPONDED AND I REPLIED WITH OUR CURRENT GPS COORDINATES. ON DSCNT, I ACTIVATED THE ELT AND GAVE MY HUSBAND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO POS HIMSELF FOR THE LNDG AND WHAT TO DO AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP. AS WE APCHED THE ROAD I NOTICED PWRLINES WHICH APPEARED TOO CLOSE TO THE ROAD TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. I IMMEDIATELY SELECTED THE FIELD TO THE E OF THE ROAD. THE FIELD HAD LOW GRASS AND OCCASIONAL TREES COMMON IN THE HIGH ARID COLORADO DESERT. ONCE THE FIELD WAS SELECTED, I ADDED FULL FLAPS. MY HUSBAND, A STUDENT PLT, SWEARS THAT THE LNDG DIDN'T FEEL MUCH DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF HIS ON A REAL RWY. ON ROLLOUT, WE BOUNCED ACROSS A COUPLE OF SHALLOW DITCHES AND ACROSS A DRIVEWAY. I HELD THE NOSE HIGH AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I FELT PRUDENT TO KEEP US FROM FLIPPING. JUST BEFORE THE DRIVEWAY WE WENT THROUGH A BARBED WIRE FENCE AND CAME TO REST WITH THE R WING AGAINST A SMALL PINION TREE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND WE BOTH IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE ACFT. ALL OF THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN NOTED ON THE ACFT TO DATE APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF THE FENCE. MUCH OF THIS APPEARS TO BE COSMETIC AND THE FAA HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT CAN BE FLOWN OUT OF ITS CURRENT LOCATION. I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS 2 POSSIBLE CAUSES. FIRST, WE WERE 8 GALLONS (5 USABLE AND 3 RESIDUAL) SHORT OF FUEL. THE ACFT SAT AT AN UNATTENDED ARPT, WHICH IS ON THE MAIN ROAD THAT PEOPLE TAKE WHEN DRIVING TO BULLFROG. AUTO AND BOAT FUEL IN BULLFROG IS $2.60 PER GALLON. I BELIEVE IT IS COMPLETELY POSSIBLE THAT FUEL WAS TAKEN FROM THE ACFT WHEN IT SAT UNATTENDED FOR 3 DAYS. THE SECOND POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT IS THE RESULT OF SEVERAL SMALL THINGS ADDING UP TO 2 EMPTY FUEL TANKS. FIRST, THE ACFT WAS FILLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY HOT AFTERNOON BUT WAS FLYING IN AN AIR TEMP OF 60 DEGS WHEN THE ENG QUIT. BECAUSE FUEL CONDENSES AS IT COOLS, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE TANKS WERE NOT COMPLETELY FULL WHEN WE LEFT EAGLE, EVEN THOUGH THE GAUGES INDICATED THAT THEY WERE AND I HAD WATCHED THE LINEMAN FILL THE PLANE. SECOND, THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON THE N RAMP AT EGE, A SURFACE WHICH APPEARS LEVEL. I LATER LEARNED FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT SLOPE ON THE RAMP AND THAT THIS MAY BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE UP TO 3 GALLONS OF FUEL TO DRAIN OUT THROUGH AN OVERFLOW VALVE IN THE WING. THIRD, WHEN I CHKED THE MIXTURE OVER MOAB, I WAS ABLE TO LEAN IT OUT A LITTLE MORE THAN WE HAD USED FOR THE FIRST HR OF OUR FLT. HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT, WE HAD ALSO GAINED ABOUT 600 FT OF ALT FROM OUR ORIGINAL CRUISE ALT. ONE MECH WE SPOKE WITH AFTER TOLD US THAT OPERATING AT LESS THAN MAX LEAN COULD RESULT IN FUEL CONSUMPTION OF UP TO 2 ADDITIONAL GPH OVER THE LEANED OUT RATES. HOWEVER, THE OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT GIVE ANY INFO ON THIS FACT. 200 OF MY 202 HRS ARE IN THIS SPECIFIC ACFT AND ALL ARE IN THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. MY FATHER AND I FLEW THIS ACFT TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE AND BACK, AND I WAS PIC FOR ABOUT 95% OF THAT TRIP. I BELIEVE THAT MY EXPERIENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT WAS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE MINIMAL DAMAGE THAT WAS ENDURED DURING THE LNDG. IF THE SECOND POSSIBLE SCENARIO IS TRUE, THEN I ATTRIBUTE MY FEW AND IRREGULAR HRS OVER THE PAST 3 YRS TO THIS OCCURRENCE. I FLEW FOR SEVERAL HRS LAST FALL, MADE A LONG XCOUNTRY (ILLINOIS TO COLORADO) IN THE SPRING, AND THEN FLEW PRIOR TO OUR LAKE POWELL TRIP TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS CURRENT. PRIOR TO AUG/00, I HAD NOT FLOWN AS PIC ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR SEVERAL YRS. DURING EACH OF MY FLTS IN THE PAST FEW YRS, I MADE IT A POINT TO FUEL UP APPROX EVERY 3 HRS EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE ACFT HAD A RANGE OF 4.8 HRS USING THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE FUEL CONSUMPTION RATES GIVEN AT THIS ALT. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 5 YRS SINCE I FLEW RTES WHERE FUEL WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE EVERY 3 HRS. I BELIEVE THAT IF I HAD BEEN FLYING LONG XCOUNTRIES MORE FREQUENTLY, I WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF ALL OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SIT AND WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO OBTAIN FUEL AT ANOTHER ARPT IN UTAH. IN SUMMARY, AT THE TIME OF DEP, I BELIEVED THAT THIS FLT COULD BE CONDUCTED SAFELY UNDER THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES AND I MADE THIS DECISION AFTER OBTAINING ALL INFO THAT WAS READILY AVAILABLE TO ME. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL VISUALLY INSPECT THE TANKS WITH A CALIBRATED STICK, AND WILL CARRY A SMALL STEPLADDER EVEN GIVEN THE LIMITED WT CAPACITY OF THIS ACFT, SO THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE PHYSICALLY FEASIBLE TO DO SO. I AM CERTAIN THAT INTRICATE DETAILS RELATED TO RATES OF FUEL CONSUMPTION WILL BE FOREVER IMPLANTED IN MY MIND AND WILL BE PARAMOUNT IN MY FLT PLANNING FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE WAS STILL A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING BUT WASN'T CERTAIN IF THE AMOUNT WAS SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THE ENG'S OP. ANY SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER INDUCED INTO THE ENG WILL CAUSE A STOPPAGE. THE AMOUNT LEFT WAS INDICATIVE OF SOME OTHER PROBS OTHER THAN FUEL SUMPS, POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE RAMP SLOPE AND TEMP WHEN FUELING. FUEL GAUGE PROBS WERE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE CHKED.

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.