Narrative:

In the midland area in a C152. After approximately 2.5 hours after refueling in paos, tx, the engine quit, at which time the pilot landed on a county road without incident. While turning to line up on the county road, the engine started again and the landing was made under power. On completion of the landing, a full power run-up and magnetic check seemed to be ok. After shutting down the aircraft, pilot exited and retrieved a fuel indicator dipstick. On checking the wing tanks it was revealed that there was an inch on the stick of fuel in the left main tank. In the right main tank there was 2+ inches of fuel indicated on the dipstick. Fuel was visibly present in both tanks. The time factor was approximately 10-15 mins after landing. The first thing that the pilot thought of was the possibility of water in the fuel. Due to the constant maneuvering that was done, the water had just now made its way into the system. After draining approximately 2 gals from sump drain, a kind citizen aided the pilot by taking him to the nearby midland airport and acquiring 10 gals of fresh fuel to add to the tanks. After adding the fresh fuel to the aircraft more fuel was drained from the system to be sure of no water. The pilot then took off using the county road with no events, and flew for approximately 30 more mins, which concluded the day's flying. After going over the events of the day the pilot came to another conclusion as to the cause of the engine stoppage. Wind condition for the day and the course that was used caused the aircraft to be flown in a slight right wing down attitude most of that afternoon, and that was the attitude it was in when the stoppage occurred. Due to the xfeed of the fuel system, it now seems that the left tank was pulled below usable level and caused the stoppage. Also this explains why, on turning left to land, it restarted and the presence of approximately 12 gals of fuel in the fuel system. Even though there seemed to be sufficient fuel for takeoff and return to base airport approximately 10 mi, pilot added the 10 gals of fuel for safety and comfort factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT HAD A FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG CAUSED BY ENG STOPPAGE.

Narrative: IN THE MIDLAND AREA IN A C152. AFTER APPROX 2.5 HRS AFTER REFUELING IN PAOS, TX, THE ENG QUIT, AT WHICH TIME THE PLT LANDED ON A COUNTY ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE TURNING TO LINE UP ON THE COUNTY ROAD, THE ENG STARTED AGAIN AND THE LNDG WAS MADE UNDER PWR. ON COMPLETION OF THE LNDG, A FULL PWR RUN-UP AND MAGNETIC CHK SEEMED TO BE OK. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT, PLT EXITED AND RETRIEVED A FUEL INDICATOR DIPSTICK. ON CHKING THE WING TANKS IT WAS REVEALED THAT THERE WAS AN INCH ON THE STICK OF FUEL IN THE L MAIN TANK. IN THE R MAIN TANK THERE WAS 2+ INCHES OF FUEL INDICATED ON THE DIPSTICK. FUEL WAS VISIBLY PRESENT IN BOTH TANKS. THE TIME FACTOR WAS APPROX 10-15 MINS AFTER LNDG. THE FIRST THING THAT THE PLT THOUGHT OF WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF WATER IN THE FUEL. DUE TO THE CONSTANT MANEUVERING THAT WAS DONE, THE WATER HAD JUST NOW MADE ITS WAY INTO THE SYS. AFTER DRAINING APPROX 2 GALS FROM SUMP DRAIN, A KIND CITIZEN AIDED THE PLT BY TAKING HIM TO THE NEARBY MIDLAND ARPT AND ACQUIRING 10 GALS OF FRESH FUEL TO ADD TO THE TANKS. AFTER ADDING THE FRESH FUEL TO THE ACFT MORE FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE SYS TO BE SURE OF NO WATER. THE PLT THEN TOOK OFF USING THE COUNTY ROAD WITH NO EVENTS, AND FLEW FOR APPROX 30 MORE MINS, WHICH CONCLUDED THE DAY'S FLYING. AFTER GOING OVER THE EVENTS OF THE DAY THE PLT CAME TO ANOTHER CONCLUSION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE ENG STOPPAGE. WIND CONDITION FOR THE DAY AND THE COURSE THAT WAS USED CAUSED THE ACFT TO BE FLOWN IN A SLIGHT R WING DOWN ATTITUDE MOST OF THAT AFTERNOON, AND THAT WAS THE ATTITUDE IT WAS IN WHEN THE STOPPAGE OCCURRED. DUE TO THE XFEED OF THE FUEL SYS, IT NOW SEEMS THAT THE L TANK WAS PULLED BELOW USABLE LEVEL AND CAUSED THE STOPPAGE. ALSO THIS EXPLAINS WHY, ON TURNING L TO LAND, IT RESTARTED AND THE PRESENCE OF APPROX 12 GALS OF FUEL IN THE FUEL SYS. EVEN THOUGH THERE SEEMED TO BE SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR TKOF AND RETURN TO BASE ARPT APPROX 10 MI, PLT ADDED THE 10 GALS OF FUEL FOR SAFETY AND COMFORT FACTOR.

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.