Narrative:

I fueled sat evening for a flight from xyz, us to YYY, us and then into AAA with a fuel stop at XXX, idaho. The flight time to YYY was 1 hour and 45 mins. The flight to XXX was about 1 hour. About twenty mi out I began clicking the microphone on 122.8 to turn on the runway lights at XXX. I tried series of 5 clicks, 3 clicks, and 7 clicks. None worked. There had been no NOTAMS for XXX and I had just flown into there the wed before. I knew that at that time the only fuel options were XXX and AAA. Based on an estimated fuel consumption of 15 gph and a fuel capacity of 60 gal I should have enough to make it into AAA as an alternate if XXX was unavailable for any reason. When I got to XXX, the lights still would not come on and I queried ATC and they also could find no NOTAMS. I again tried their suggestion as I was circling the second time over XXX when the engine quit. I switched to the other tank and it ran for about two more minutes and then quit also. I had run the left tank for about 1 hour and 15 mins enroute to YYY and the gauge was indicating less than 15 gal remaining. When the engine quit, ZZZ was the closest and down the valley. I informed ATC that I was out of fuel and gliding. I traded airspeed for altitude and then established a best glide speed of 80 mph. I attempted switching back and forth between the tanks and rocking the wings to see if there was extra fuel. I also applied carburetor heat, but all to no avail. After landing at ZZZ I reported to ATC that I was on the ground and safe. They did not receive my transmission although I could hear them. My report was relayed to them by another pilot. We spent the night at ZZZ and the next morning I checked the tanks and both appeared bone dry. We refueled and when we could only get about 25 gallons per side we rocked the plane and also let it set to see if more fuel could be added, but it would take no more. Yesterday the mechanic checked the tank and found that the part number of the fuel bladder is 20355AT-00. We checked the parts manual for the comanche 250 and for models 1-2843 that is the part called for in the parts manual. We noted that the same part number is also called for the comanche 180. It is unclear in the parts manual whether the part number for the 180 was an extended range tank. I contacted the comanche society and they indicted that all comanche 250's had 60 gal tanks. At this time it appears that the only available fuel was 25 gal per side. This is contrary to that indicated in the poh and directly led to this situation. Perhaps through your channels you can determine why the discrepancy exists. Based on my conservative calculations I should have had at least 4 hours of fuel based on the poh assuming a rich mixture and operation at 15 gph. This should have been enough to get to my original fuel stop with about 1 hour and 15 mins remaining reserves to get to AAA which is 30 mins from ZZZ. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the flight was planned on having 60 gals of usable fuel. The prtr said the poh stated the fuel capacity for each tank was 30 gals for a total of 60 gals. The reporter stated after the emergency landing in ZZZ the tanks were checked dry and then filled to capacity and it was discovered the tanks each held 25 gals for a total of 50 gals. The reporter stated 50 gals total is in conflict with the poh of 60 gals total. The reporter said the part number of the tank is the correct part number effectivity for this plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA-24 AT 1200 FT DECLARES AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTS DUE TO ENGINE SHUTDOWN CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION. FOUND TANK CAPACITY SHORT OF POH.

Narrative: I FUELED SAT EVENING FOR A FLT FROM XYZ, US TO YYY, US AND THEN INTO AAA WITH A FUEL STOP AT XXX, IDAHO. THE FLT TIME TO YYY WAS 1 HR AND 45 MINS. THE FLT TO XXX WAS ABOUT 1 HR. ABOUT TWENTY MI OUT I BEGAN CLICKING THE MIKE ON 122.8 TO TURN ON THE RWY LIGHTS AT XXX. I TRIED SERIES OF 5 CLICKS, 3 CLICKS, AND 7 CLICKS. NONE WORKED. THERE HAD BEEN NO NOTAMS FOR XXX AND I HAD JUST FLOWN INTO THERE THE WED BEFORE. I KNEW THAT AT THAT TIME THE ONLY FUEL OPTIONS WERE XXX AND AAA. BASED ON AN ESTIMATED FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 15 GPH AND A FUEL CAPACITY OF 60 GAL I SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE IT INTO AAA AS AN ALTERNATE IF XXX WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR ANY REASON. WHEN I GOT TO XXX, THE LIGHTS STILL WOULD NOT COME ON AND I QUERIED ATC AND THEY ALSO COULD FIND NO NOTAMS. I AGAIN TRIED THEIR SUGGESTION AS I WAS CIRCLING THE SECOND TIME OVER XXX WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. I SWITCHED TO THE OTHER TANK AND IT RAN FOR ABOUT TWO MORE MINUTES AND THEN QUIT ALSO. I HAD RUN THE LEFT TANK FOR ABOUT 1 HR AND 15 MINS ENROUTE TO YYY AND THE GAUGE WAS INDICATING LESS THAN 15 GAL REMAINING. WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT, ZZZ WAS THE CLOSEST AND DOWN THE VALLEY. I INFORMED ATC THAT I WAS OUT OF FUEL AND GLIDING. I TRADED AIRSPEED FOR ALTITUDE AND THEN ESTABLISHED A BEST GLIDE SPEED OF 80 MPH. I ATTEMPTED SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TANKS AND ROCKING THE WINGS TO SEE IF THERE WAS EXTRA FUEL. I ALSO APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, BUT ALL TO NO AVAIL. AFTER LANDING AT ZZZ I REPORTED TO ATC THAT I WAS ON THE GND AND SAFE. THEY DID NOT RECEIVE MY TRANSMISSION ALTHOUGH I COULD HEAR THEM. MY RPT WAS RELAYED TO THEM BY ANOTHER PLT. WE SPENT THE NIGHT AT ZZZ AND THE NEXT MORNING I CHECKED THE TANKS AND BOTH APPEARED BONE DRY. WE REFUELED AND WHEN WE COULD ONLY GET ABOUT 25 GALLONS PER SIDE WE ROCKED THE PLANE AND ALSO LET IT SET TO SEE IF MORE FUEL COULD BE ADDED, BUT IT WOULD TAKE NO MORE. YESTERDAY THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE TANK AND FOUND THAT THE PART NUMBER OF THE FUEL BLADDER IS 20355AT-00. WE CHECKED THE PARTS MANUAL FOR THE COMANCHE 250 AND FOR MODELS 1-2843 THAT IS THE PART CALLED FOR IN THE PARTS MANUAL. WE NOTED THAT THE SAME PART NUMBER IS ALSO CALLED FOR THE COMANCHE 180. IT IS UNCLEAR IN THE PARTS MANUAL WHETHER THE PART NUMBER FOR THE 180 WAS AN EXTENDED RANGE TANK. I CONTACTED THE COMANCHE SOCIETY AND THEY INDICTED THAT ALL COMANCHE 250'S HAD 60 GAL TANKS. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT THE ONLY AVAILABLE FUEL WAS 25 GAL PER SIDE. THIS IS CONTRARY TO THAT INDICATED IN THE POH AND DIRECTLY LED TO THIS SIT. PERHAPS THROUGH YOUR CHANNELS YOU CAN DETERMINE WHY THE DISCREPANCY EXISTS. BASED ON MY CONSERVATIVE CALCULATIONS I SHOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST 4 HRS OF FUEL BASED ON THE POH ASSUMING A RICH MIXTURE AND OPERATION AT 15 GPH. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO GET TO MY ORIGINAL FUEL STOP WITH ABOUT 1 HR AND 15 MINS REMAINING RESERVES TO GET TO AAA WHICH IS 30 MINS FROM ZZZ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FLT WAS PLANNED ON HAVING 60 GALS OF USABLE FUEL. THE PRTR SAID THE POH STATED THE FUEL CAPACITY FOR EACH TANK WAS 30 GALS FOR A TOTAL OF 60 GALS. THE RPTR STATED AFTER THE EMERGENCY LANDING IN ZZZ THE TANKS WERE CHECKED DRY AND THEN FILLED TO CAPACITY AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THE TANKS EACH HELD 25 GALS FOR A TOTAL OF 50 GALS. THE RPTR STATED 50 GALS TOTAL IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE POH OF 60 GALS TOTAL. THE RPTR SAID THE PART NUMBER OF THE TANK IS THE CORRECT PART NUMBER EFFECTIVITY FOR THIS PLANE.

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.