Narrative:

I woke up that friday morning and noticed it was still snowing and having icing. The WX stated it'd clear up after noon. I decided to depart at XA00 pm eastern time. I did a flight plan and it said I'd have enough fuel to get to my destination plus 1 hour left of fuel remaining in the tanks. I decided to file it and if I needed to land somewhere to fuel, I would do so. I departed and was timing everything for the fuel, switching tanks as needed. The temperature was -20 to -30 degrees C between 8000 ft and 9000 ft. I get 45 NM out from rochester and according to my watch I still had 45 mins remaining in the right tank and about 1 hour and 45 mins in the left tank. I was just over the mississippi river and the engine failed. I reacted calmly and everything that came in training was automatically done. I immediately pitched for 80 mph and put the fuel pump on the switched tanks. I only dropped I believe 300-400 ft in that amount of time and the engine started. I called rochester approach and let them know what happened. They helped me out and found a nearby airport and I decided to land there. At first I thought the right tank had water or maybe something happened with the fuel line getting clogged. I thought this because the gauges were still reading 14 gals on the right side and about 16 gals on the left side. I also according to my watch should've had more time in that tank. So, I landed at the winona airport and fueled up. The right tank was completely empty and the left tank had maybe just 15 mins remaining. I know during the flight I had the mixture leaned as best as I could too. I couldn't understand why the timing and everything wasn't looking right. I did a preflight check on the plane before taking off and noticed that the lowest fuel tank sump was leaking pretty fast. It was a constant drip. I figured during my flight that this might have happened and it being so cold that it might have frozen the gauges as well. I am not sure what was wrong. But I got it fueled up and flew to my final destination where I landed safely. During the entire time this incident happened, I did not feel scared and I knew that all I had to do was fly the plane. I wasn't nervous, didn't tense up or anything. I don't think anything bothered me about what happened until I got home and had time to situation and think what could've really happened. It was pitch black out and I was unfamiliar with the area. Having snow on the ground doesn't help for the lndgs either. But that is how my flight went and I am glad to be safely home.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PA28-180 PLT DIVERTED TO LAND FOR FUEL AFTER THE ENG QUIT DURING CRUISE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. ENG RESTARTED AFTER SWITCHING TANKS.

Narrative: I WOKE UP THAT FRIDAY MORNING AND NOTICED IT WAS STILL SNOWING AND HAVING ICING. THE WX STATED IT'D CLR UP AFTER NOON. I DECIDED TO DEPART AT XA00 PM EASTERN TIME. I DID A FLT PLAN AND IT SAID I'D HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO MY DEST PLUS 1 HR LEFT OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. I DECIDED TO FILE IT AND IF I NEEDED TO LAND SOMEWHERE TO FUEL, I WOULD DO SO. I DEPARTED AND WAS TIMING EVERYTHING FOR THE FUEL, SWITCHING TANKS AS NEEDED. THE TEMP WAS -20 TO -30 DEGS C BTWN 8000 FT AND 9000 FT. I GET 45 NM OUT FROM ROCHESTER AND ACCORDING TO MY WATCH I STILL HAD 45 MINS REMAINING IN THE R TANK AND ABOUT 1 HR AND 45 MINS IN THE L TANK. I WAS JUST OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND THE ENG FAILED. I REACTED CALMLY AND EVERYTHING THAT CAME IN TRAINING WAS AUTOMATICALLY DONE. I IMMEDIATELY PITCHED FOR 80 MPH AND PUT THE FUEL PUMP ON THE SWITCHED TANKS. I ONLY DROPPED I BELIEVE 300-400 FT IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME AND THE ENG STARTED. I CALLED ROCHESTER APCH AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THEY HELPED ME OUT AND FOUND A NEARBY ARPT AND I DECIDED TO LAND THERE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE R TANK HAD WATER OR MAYBE SOMETHING HAPPENED WITH THE FUEL LINE GETTING CLOGGED. I THOUGHT THIS BECAUSE THE GAUGES WERE STILL READING 14 GALS ON THE R SIDE AND ABOUT 16 GALS ON THE L SIDE. I ALSO ACCORDING TO MY WATCH SHOULD'VE HAD MORE TIME IN THAT TANK. SO, I LANDED AT THE WINONA ARPT AND FUELED UP. THE R TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY AND THE L TANK HAD MAYBE JUST 15 MINS REMAINING. I KNOW DURING THE FLT I HAD THE MIXTURE LEANED AS BEST AS I COULD TOO. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE TIMING AND EVERYTHING WASN'T LOOKING RIGHT. I DID A PREFLT CHK ON THE PLANE BEFORE TAKING OFF AND NOTICED THAT THE LOWEST FUEL TANK SUMP WAS LEAKING PRETTY FAST. IT WAS A CONSTANT DRIP. I FIGURED DURING MY FLT THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AND IT BEING SO COLD THAT IT MIGHT HAVE FROZEN THE GAUGES AS WELL. I AM NOT SURE WHAT WAS WRONG. BUT I GOT IT FUELED UP AND FLEW TO MY FINAL DEST WHERE I LANDED SAFELY. DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, I DID NOT FEEL SCARED AND I KNEW THAT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS FLY THE PLANE. I WASN'T NERVOUS, DIDN'T TENSE UP OR ANYTHING. I DON'T THINK ANYTHING BOTHERED ME ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL I GOT HOME AND HAD TIME TO SIT AND THINK WHAT COULD'VE REALLY HAPPENED. IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUT AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. HAVING SNOW ON THE GND DOESN'T HELP FOR THE LNDGS EITHER. BUT THAT IS HOW MY FLT WENT AND I AM GLAD TO BE SAFELY HOME.

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.