Narrative:

A C35 bonanza was flown about 1.4 hours from cre to spa. There was 20 gallons (full) in each wing tank and about 10-13 gallons in the center rear tank behind the back seat. The trip was flight planned for 11 gph fuel consumption. This plane recirculates about 3 gallons back to the left tank no matter which tank is being used. After an uneventful flight from cre to spa, the right tank was selected for landing since it was full. The fuel was checked before takeoff. On the return trip, the right tank was used for takeoff and climbed to 2000 ft or so. The flight altitude was reduced since there were head- and xwinds. The air was bumpy. After a while, the top of the door became unlatched. It was checked for security before takeoff. It was secure and not unlatched. I decided to proceed with a partially unlatched door. After another 10 mins or so, the door became fully unlatched and opened up about 3 inches or so. I decided I did not want to continue with the flight with the wind and associated noise. I punched the nearest airport feature on the LORAN I was navigating VFR with, and turned around to land at camden airport about 5 mi to my right rear. I was there in about 3 mins. I called the CTAF and entered the pattern on a right base/straight-in. I landed, turned off and relatched the door. I took back off and climbed to about 1200 ft or so en route to a parallel offset to the left of the flo VOR. Flying low, I did not want to enter the flo airport airspace without talking to them. I elected to bypass them. I was about 15 mi to the north (going east) when I passed by them. I then redirected to cre from the present position. In about 10 mins my engine quit. I had just passed mullins, sc. I pumped on the wobble pump to no avail. My partner and I had been talking about the fuel pump recently. The pump was putting out 11 psi down from 12 or 13 psi. It had been on our minds about getting a new pump. While I was looking at the fuel pressure, it quit! I had fuel pump failure on my mind. I pumped with no resistance from the pump. I should have changed tanks and pumped. I checked the magnetos, but no help. There was a road and a curve and more straight road ahead. Only 1 car going my way. I turned on my landing light, put down the flaps and wheels. I landed in front of the car I passed over. I didn't even come close to him judging by my altitude and speed of overtaking it. I called 'mayday, landing on a road 5 mi east of mullins.' the radio was on cre tower 124.6 and I had been listening on that frequency for a while. They heard me but I did not know it at the time. They recognized the call sign and called my partner at home. I landed on the road (piece of cake) and turned off into a house driveway. The tail was only 1 ft into the roadway. I got out and moved the plane to the point it was not in the roadway. The car that I passed over stopped and inquired about if I was ok. Some people stopped and we pushed the plane onto a yard. I called my wife and told her what had happened in the event she later heard misinfo and may worry. I then called the anderson FAA FSS and told them about my mayday call and if anyone reported a plane down in the area, it was probably me and that everything was ok for the time being. I called my partner and he came +/-2 hours later. While I was waiting on him, I checked the amount of gas in the right wing. There was none to speak of. I had exhausted the gas in the right wing. My partner showed up. We concurred that there was no mechanical problem. There was 13 gallons in the center tank, none in the right tank and about 11 gallons in the left tank. A couple of neighbors in the area were helpful. They agreed to stop traffic, if any, to allow the plane to take off. We checked for where overhead power lines and side roads were. There was the clear area that I had landed on with no wires or side roads. My partner started up the plane and gave it a good run-up on the tank in the left wing. He took off and flew the plane the last 40 mi to the base. He called the tower operator who had called him about the emergency. The tower operator said he would cancel the emergency. On the way home, driving my partner's car, a man called from the columbia, sc, GADO office and asked about the particulars. I told him what had happened and that I had mismanaged the fuel. There was no close call or damage to anything or anyone and the plane by that time was probably back at the airport and in the hangar. He wanted to hear my partner's voice to be assured that he was ok. I gave him the telephone number as well as my own. I asked him to leave a message at my home phone with his name and telephone number. He said he would, but he never did. I was planning to change fuel tanks in another 10 mins or so, landing on either the left one or the 1/2 full center tank. I did not expect the fuel to run out. It caught me by surprise. I know the fuel consumption is about 11 gph leaned out. It did not occur to me that the right and center tanks are depleted at about a 14 gph rate. That where the other 3 gallons goes -- into the left tank. In calculating the time on the right tank, it ran out just about the time it should have at a 14 gph depletion rate. I was in error for not going through an emergency checklist which would have included switching tanks and pumping the wobble pump. I was low and that was a mistake. If I had been higher, I would have had more time to think of other things to do or try. I probably would have tried switching tanks and then all this could have been my secret. When I checked the magnetos, I was thinking there was not much point to this since both didn't fail at the same time. The last time a magneto failed, 300 hours ago, it caused misfiring -- not just quit failure. I have about 1000 hours and never had an emergency before. I don't think I'll have this one again. Where was gump this day? It had always been with me before. I was just thinking about fuel pressure/failure when it quit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OFF ARPT LNDG IN A BONANZA RESULTING FROM FUEL STARVATION WITH 23 GALLONS STILL ON BOARD.

Narrative: A C35 BONANZA WAS FLOWN ABOUT 1.4 HRS FROM CRE TO SPA. THERE WAS 20 GALLONS (FULL) IN EACH WING TANK AND ABOUT 10-13 GALLONS IN THE CTR REAR TANK BEHIND THE BACK SEAT. THE TRIP WAS FLT PLANNED FOR 11 GPH FUEL CONSUMPTION. THIS PLANE RECIRCULATES ABOUT 3 GALLONS BACK TO THE L TANK NO MATTER WHICH TANK IS BEING USED. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM CRE TO SPA, THE R TANK WAS SELECTED FOR LNDG SINCE IT WAS FULL. THE FUEL WAS CHKED BEFORE TKOF. ON THE RETURN TRIP, THE R TANK WAS USED FOR TKOF AND CLBED TO 2000 FT OR SO. THE FLT ALT WAS REDUCED SINCE THERE WERE HEAD- AND XWINDS. THE AIR WAS BUMPY. AFTER A WHILE, THE TOP OF THE DOOR BECAME UNLATCHED. IT WAS CHKED FOR SECURITY BEFORE TKOF. IT WAS SECURE AND NOT UNLATCHED. I DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH A PARTIALLY UNLATCHED DOOR. AFTER ANOTHER 10 MINS OR SO, THE DOOR BECAME FULLY UNLATCHED AND OPENED UP ABOUT 3 INCHES OR SO. I DECIDED I DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE FLT WITH THE WIND AND ASSOCIATED NOISE. I PUNCHED THE NEAREST ARPT FEATURE ON THE LORAN I WAS NAVING VFR WITH, AND TURNED AROUND TO LAND AT CAMDEN ARPT ABOUT 5 MI TO MY R REAR. I WAS THERE IN ABOUT 3 MINS. I CALLED THE CTAF AND ENTERED THE PATTERN ON A R BASE/STRAIGHT-IN. I LANDED, TURNED OFF AND RELATCHED THE DOOR. I TOOK BACK OFF AND CLBED TO ABOUT 1200 FT OR SO ENRTE TO A PARALLEL OFFSET TO THE L OF THE FLO VOR. FLYING LOW, I DID NOT WANT TO ENTER THE FLO ARPT AIRSPACE WITHOUT TALKING TO THEM. I ELECTED TO BYPASS THEM. I WAS ABOUT 15 MI TO THE N (GOING E) WHEN I PASSED BY THEM. I THEN REDIRECTED TO CRE FROM THE PRESENT POS. IN ABOUT 10 MINS MY ENG QUIT. I HAD JUST PASSED MULLINS, SC. I PUMPED ON THE WOBBLE PUMP TO NO AVAIL. MY PARTNER AND I HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FUEL PUMP RECENTLY. THE PUMP WAS PUTTING OUT 11 PSI DOWN FROM 12 OR 13 PSI. IT HAD BEEN ON OUR MINDS ABOUT GETTING A NEW PUMP. WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT THE FUEL PRESSURE, IT QUIT! I HAD FUEL PUMP FAILURE ON MY MIND. I PUMPED WITH NO RESISTANCE FROM THE PUMP. I SHOULD HAVE CHANGED TANKS AND PUMPED. I CHKED THE MAGNETOS, BUT NO HELP. THERE WAS A ROAD AND A CURVE AND MORE STRAIGHT ROAD AHEAD. ONLY 1 CAR GOING MY WAY. I TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT, PUT DOWN THE FLAPS AND WHEELS. I LANDED IN FRONT OF THE CAR I PASSED OVER. I DIDN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO HIM JUDGING BY MY ALT AND SPD OF OVERTAKING IT. I CALLED 'MAYDAY, LNDG ON A ROAD 5 MI E OF MULLINS.' THE RADIO WAS ON CRE TWR 124.6 AND I HAD BEEN LISTENING ON THAT FREQ FOR A WHILE. THEY HEARD ME BUT I DID NOT KNOW IT AT THE TIME. THEY RECOGNIZED THE CALL SIGN AND CALLED MY PARTNER AT HOME. I LANDED ON THE ROAD (PIECE OF CAKE) AND TURNED OFF INTO A HOUSE DRIVEWAY. THE TAIL WAS ONLY 1 FT INTO THE ROADWAY. I GOT OUT AND MOVED THE PLANE TO THE POINT IT WAS NOT IN THE ROADWAY. THE CAR THAT I PASSED OVER STOPPED AND INQUIRED ABOUT IF I WAS OK. SOME PEOPLE STOPPED AND WE PUSHED THE PLANE ONTO A YARD. I CALLED MY WIFE AND TOLD HER WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE EVENT SHE LATER HEARD MISINFO AND MAY WORRY. I THEN CALLED THE ANDERSON FAA FSS AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY MAYDAY CALL AND IF ANYONE RPTED A PLANE DOWN IN THE AREA, IT WAS PROBABLY ME AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK FOR THE TIME BEING. I CALLED MY PARTNER AND HE CAME +/-2 HRS LATER. WHILE I WAS WAITING ON HIM, I CHKED THE AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE R WING. THERE WAS NONE TO SPEAK OF. I HAD EXHAUSTED THE GAS IN THE R WING. MY PARTNER SHOWED UP. WE CONCURRED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL PROB. THERE WAS 13 GALLONS IN THE CTR TANK, NONE IN THE R TANK AND ABOUT 11 GALLONS IN THE L TANK. A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORS IN THE AREA WERE HELPFUL. THEY AGREED TO STOP TFC, IF ANY, TO ALLOW THE PLANE TO TAKE OFF. WE CHKED FOR WHERE OVERHEAD PWR LINES AND SIDE ROADS WERE. THERE WAS THE CLR AREA THAT I HAD LANDED ON WITH NO WIRES OR SIDE ROADS. MY PARTNER STARTED UP THE PLANE AND GAVE IT A GOOD RUN-UP ON THE TANK IN THE L WING. HE TOOK OFF AND FLEW THE PLANE THE LAST 40 MI TO THE BASE. HE CALLED THE TWR OPERATOR WHO HAD CALLED HIM ABOUT THE EMER. THE TWR OPERATOR SAID HE WOULD CANCEL THE EMER. ON THE WAY HOME, DRIVING MY PARTNER'S CAR, A MAN CALLED FROM THE COLUMBIA, SC, GADO OFFICE AND ASKED ABOUT THE PARTICULARS. I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT I HAD MISMANAGED THE FUEL. THERE WAS NO CLOSE CALL OR DAMAGE TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE AND THE PLANE BY THAT TIME WAS PROBABLY BACK AT THE ARPT AND IN THE HANGAR. HE WANTED TO HEAR MY PARTNER'S VOICE TO BE ASSURED THAT HE WAS OK. I GAVE HIM THE TELEPHONE NUMBER AS WELL AS MY OWN. I ASKED HIM TO LEAVE A MESSAGE AT MY HOME PHONE WITH HIS NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER. HE SAID HE WOULD, BUT HE NEVER DID. I WAS PLANNING TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS IN ANOTHER 10 MINS OR SO, LNDG ON EITHER THE L ONE OR THE 1/2 FULL CTR TANK. I DID NOT EXPECT THE FUEL TO RUN OUT. IT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE. I KNOW THE FUEL CONSUMPTION IS ABOUT 11 GPH LEANED OUT. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT THE R AND CTR TANKS ARE DEPLETED AT ABOUT A 14 GPH RATE. THAT WHERE THE OTHER 3 GALLONS GOES -- INTO THE L TANK. IN CALCULATING THE TIME ON THE R TANK, IT RAN OUT JUST ABOUT THE TIME IT SHOULD HAVE AT A 14 GPH DEPLETION RATE. I WAS IN ERROR FOR NOT GOING THROUGH AN EMER CHKLIST WHICH WOULD HAVE INCLUDED SWITCHING TANKS AND PUMPING THE WOBBLE PUMP. I WAS LOW AND THAT WAS A MISTAKE. IF I HAD BEEN HIGHER, I WOULD HAVE HAD MORE TIME TO THINK OF OTHER THINGS TO DO OR TRY. I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TRIED SWITCHING TANKS AND THEN ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MY SECRET. WHEN I CHKED THE MAGNETOS, I WAS THINKING THERE WAS NOT MUCH POINT TO THIS SINCE BOTH DIDN'T FAIL AT THE SAME TIME. THE LAST TIME A MAGNETO FAILED, 300 HRS AGO, IT CAUSED MISFIRING -- NOT JUST QUIT FAILURE. I HAVE ABOUT 1000 HRS AND NEVER HAD AN EMER BEFORE. I DON'T THINK I'LL HAVE THIS ONE AGAIN. WHERE WAS GUMP THIS DAY? IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN WITH ME BEFORE. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT FUEL PRESSURE/FAILURE WHEN IT QUIT.

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.