M20P pilot had engine power loss due to fuel tank fuel loss.

Attributes
ACN	519561
Time
Date	200107
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fat.tracon
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fat.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 E Super 21
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 887 flight time type : 57
ASRS Report	519561
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On jul/sun/01 at XA30, I departed sequoia field airport in a 1966 mooney super 21/M20/east with 2 on board -- myself as pilot and one other. Flying on the left fuel tank, which had been previously filled at the visalia airport, I flew direct to the friant VOR, through mammoth pass, direct to lee vining airport, direct to and landing at carson airport. Reaching an altitude of 11500 ft I had flown the entire flight on the left fuel tank and it took 1 hour 20 mins. While at carson airport, I switched to the right tank that had been visually inspected during my preflight to be completely full. Departing carson, with 4 on board, myself and 3 passenger, at approximately XC15, my route back to visalia was GPS direct to linden VOR, direct to visalia, where my cruising altitude after reaching linden VOR was 9500 ft. While over fresno, being 4.5 mi north of the fresno airport at 1 hour 50 mins into the flight, the right tank ran out of fuel. Having leaned the fuel mixture properly at 2400 RPM my fuel consumption at 10000 ft was estimated to be 9.7 gph with 26 gallons of usable fuel per side. It was my intention to switch back to the left tank after reaching 2 hours of flight time on the right tank, thereby leaving approximately 30 mins remaining time on the right tank. I immediately contacted fat approach from whom I was receiving advisories and advised them that my engine had lost power and that I was declaring an emergency. I immediately switched fuel tanks and restarted the engine, resuming normal flight. During this time I did not deviate from course and lost less than 200 ft of altitude. I then advised fat that I would like to cancel the emergency and continue my flight to visalia, which was affirmed, through fat tower. I continued the flight into visalia without further incident. In conclusion, after this incident, due to the fuel starvation, this aircraft will be inspected by an ia in order to check the fuel consumption and the integrity of the fuel tanks and fuel gauges.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20P PLT HAD ENG PWR LOSS DUE TO FUEL TANK FUEL LOSS.

Narrative: ON JUL/SUN/01 AT XA30, I DEPARTED SEQUOIA FIELD ARPT IN A 1966 MOONEY SUPER 21/M20/E WITH 2 ON BOARD -- MYSELF AS PLT AND ONE OTHER. FLYING ON THE L FUEL TANK, WHICH HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY FILLED AT THE VISALIA ARPT, I FLEW DIRECT TO THE FRIANT VOR, THROUGH MAMMOTH PASS, DIRECT TO LEE VINING ARPT, DIRECT TO AND LNDG AT CARSON ARPT. REACHING AN ALT OF 11500 FT I HAD FLOWN THE ENTIRE FLT ON THE L FUEL TANK AND IT TOOK 1 HR 20 MINS. WHILE AT CARSON ARPT, I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK THAT HAD BEEN VISUALLY INSPECTED DURING MY PREFLT TO BE COMPLETELY FULL. DEPARTING CARSON, WITH 4 ON BOARD, MYSELF AND 3 PAX, AT APPROX XC15, MY RTE BACK TO VISALIA WAS GPS DIRECT TO LINDEN VOR, DIRECT TO VISALIA, WHERE MY CRUISING ALT AFTER REACHING LINDEN VOR WAS 9500 FT. WHILE OVER FRESNO, BEING 4.5 MI N OF THE FRESNO ARPT AT 1 HR 50 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE R TANK RAN OUT OF FUEL. HAVING LEANED THE FUEL MIXTURE PROPERLY AT 2400 RPM MY FUEL CONSUMPTION AT 10000 FT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 9.7 GPH WITH 26 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL PER SIDE. IT WAS MY INTENTION TO SWITCH BACK TO THE L TANK AFTER REACHING 2 HRS OF FLT TIME ON THE R TANK, THEREBY LEAVING APPROX 30 MINS REMAINING TIME ON THE R TANK. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED FAT APCH FROM WHOM I WAS RECEIVING ADVISORIES AND ADVISED THEM THAT MY ENG HAD LOST PWR AND THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND RESTARTED THE ENG, RESUMING NORMAL FLT. DURING THIS TIME I DID NOT DEVIATE FROM COURSE AND LOST LESS THAN 200 FT OF ALT. I THEN ADVISED FAT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CANCEL THE EMER AND CONTINUE MY FLT TO VISALIA, WHICH WAS AFFIRMED, THROUGH FAT TWR. I CONTINUED THE FLT INTO VISALIA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN CONCLUSION, AFTER THIS INCIDENT, DUE TO THE FUEL STARVATION, THIS ACFT WILL BE INSPECTED BY AN IA IN ORDER TO CHK THE FUEL CONSUMPTION AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUEL TANKS AND FUEL GAUGES.

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.