Narrative:

Returning from training flight with student. Had been doing touch and goes at clay county regional (gph). Previously doing training maneuvers at 3000 ft MSL and 1500 ft. Approximately 5-7 NM northeast of mkc (the downtown kansas city airport), engine lost power and then surged several times. The fuel gauges appeared to be at or near empty. The plane was headed into a 20+ KT wind. Making it to mkc seemed doubtful at best. Decided to look for a safe landing area. The nearest and only one was a farmer's hay field south of a subdivision. I notified the tower of my intention and landed safely. I taxied to the highest spot in the center of the field, notified the tower and remained in radio contact, until another aircraft reported us to the tower. Engine did not stop running until shut down on the ground. Inspection by the FAA found fuel sumped from right tank. FAA gave permission to add fuel and take off. Chief pilot for the airplane rental company made an uneventful takeoff, returning to mkc. Before the flight I observed the student using the checklist to conduct the preflight. He said everything was 'ok' and ready to go. On run-up before takeoff I casually observed the fuel gauges as below 1/2 full. The procedure followed by the company is to not fill completely the tanks, due to danger of over gross weight problems. The student who conducted the preflight told the chief pilot that he felt fuel in the tanks when he stuck his finger in the fill tube. The lack of definite measurement, strong headwinds and not adding some fuel made this incident take the course that it did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG IN A FARMER'S FIELD.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM TRAINING FLT WITH STUDENT. HAD BEEN DOING TOUCH AND GOES AT CLAY COUNTY REGIONAL (GPH). PREVIOUSLY DOING TRAINING MANEUVERS AT 3000 FT MSL AND 1500 FT. APPROX 5-7 NM NE OF MKC (THE DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY ARPT), ENG LOST PWR AND THEN SURGED SEVERAL TIMES. THE FUEL GAUGES APPEARED TO BE AT OR NEAR EMPTY. THE PLANE WAS HEADED INTO A 20+ KT WIND. MAKING IT TO MKC SEEMED DOUBTFUL AT BEST. DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A SAFE LNDG AREA. THE NEAREST AND ONLY ONE WAS A FARMER'S HAY FIELD S OF A SUBDIVISION. I NOTIFIED THE TWR OF MY INTENTION AND LANDED SAFELY. I TAXIED TO THE HIGHEST SPOT IN THE CTR OF THE FIELD, NOTIFIED THE TWR AND REMAINED IN RADIO CONTACT, UNTIL ANOTHER ACFT RPTED US TO THE TWR. ENG DID NOT STOP RUNNING UNTIL SHUT DOWN ON THE GND. INSPECTION BY THE FAA FOUND FUEL SUMPED FROM R TANK. FAA GAVE PERMISSION TO ADD FUEL AND TAKE OFF. CHIEF PLT FOR THE AIRPLANE RENTAL COMPANY MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF, RETURNING TO MKC. BEFORE THE FLT I OBSERVED THE STUDENT USING THE CHKLIST TO CONDUCT THE PREFLT. HE SAID EVERYTHING WAS 'OK' AND READY TO GO. ON RUN-UP BEFORE TKOF I CASUALLY OBSERVED THE FUEL GAUGES AS BELOW 1/2 FULL. THE PROC FOLLOWED BY THE COMPANY IS TO NOT FILL COMPLETELY THE TANKS, DUE TO DANGER OF OVER GROSS WT PROBS. THE STUDENT WHO CONDUCTED THE PREFLT TOLD THE CHIEF PLT THAT HE FELT FUEL IN THE TANKS WHEN HE STUCK HIS FINGER IN THE FILL TUBE. THE LACK OF DEFINITE MEASUREMENT, STRONG HEADWINDS AND NOT ADDING SOME FUEL MADE THIS INCIDENT TAKE THE COURSE THAT IT DID.

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.