Narrative:

I had planned to fly from omn to sem. Sem was to be the first of my 2 planned stops for fuel (and rest) on the way to my ultimate destination in missouri. I calculated that the trip would take just over 3 hours in the C172 that I would be flying. In this flight plan, I also calculated that I would reach selma with about 2 1/2 hours of fuel remaining. This plan changed about 15 mi north of ozark, al, when my engine had its first hiccup. I was speaking to cairns approach at that time, and immediately asked for vectors to the nearest airport. I turned around, heading for blackwell (71J). About 1 1/2 mi from the airport, the propeller stopped. I was only 1 mi from blackwell, and heading straight in for its only runway, when I knew that I was losing altitude too fast to clear the trees that surrounded the airport. Passing through 1000 ft MSL, I determined that the road to the right of the airport was the best option available to me. Fortunately, neither I nor the plane was hurt. I began inspecting the plane to find out what went wrong, and soon discovered the problem -- the tanks were empty. My forced landing was not a result of some mechanical failure, but had been caused by me alone. Because of my own action -- or inaction -- I had to make an off-airport landing due to fuel starvation. The more I go over this situation in my head, the more certain elements materialize and stand out. The preflight -- I had completed, rechked, and studied my flight plan. I had obtained a WX briefing and filed my flight plan. I then went outside to preflight the aircraft. I did a complete preflight. I put in an order for fuel. Getting out to check the new fuel, another pilot offered to check it for me. I consented. This was my first biggest mistake. By allowing another person to check my fuel tanks before takeoff, I failed to adhere to a clearly stated regulation. It also indicates a lapse in my own common sense that directly compromised my safety, and potentially compromised the safety of others on the ground. It is also a good lesson in the importance of strict adherence to the FARS -- there is a reason behind each of the rules that we follow as pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT INADVERTENTLY RAN OUT OF FUEL AND MADE AN EMER DEAD STICK LNDG ON A HWY.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED TO FLY FROM OMN TO SEM. SEM WAS TO BE THE FIRST OF MY 2 PLANNED STOPS FOR FUEL (AND REST) ON THE WAY TO MY ULTIMATE DEST IN MISSOURI. I CALCULATED THAT THE TRIP WOULD TAKE JUST OVER 3 HRS IN THE C172 THAT I WOULD BE FLYING. IN THIS FLT PLAN, I ALSO CALCULATED THAT I WOULD REACH SELMA WITH ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING. THIS PLAN CHANGED ABOUT 15 MI N OF OZARK, AL, WHEN MY ENG HAD ITS FIRST HICCUP. I WAS SPEAKING TO CAIRNS APCH AT THAT TIME, AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT. I TURNED AROUND, HDG FOR BLACKWELL (71J). ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FROM THE ARPT, THE PROP STOPPED. I WAS ONLY 1 MI FROM BLACKWELL, AND HEADING STRAIGHT IN FOR ITS ONLY RWY, WHEN I KNEW THAT I WAS LOSING ALT TOO FAST TO CLR THE TREES THAT SURROUNDED THE ARPT. PASSING THROUGH 1000 FT MSL, I DETERMINED THAT THE ROAD TO THE R OF THE ARPT WAS THE BEST OPTION AVAILABLE TO ME. FORTUNATELY, NEITHER I NOR THE PLANE WAS HURT. I BEGAN INSPECTING THE PLANE TO FIND OUT WHAT WENT WRONG, AND SOON DISCOVERED THE PROB -- THE TANKS WERE EMPTY. MY FORCED LNDG WAS NOT A RESULT OF SOME MECHANICAL FAILURE, BUT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY ME ALONE. BECAUSE OF MY OWN ACTION -- OR INACTION -- I HAD TO MAKE AN OFF-ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE MORE I GO OVER THIS SIT IN MY HEAD, THE MORE CERTAIN ELEMENTS MATERIALIZE AND STAND OUT. THE PREFLT -- I HAD COMPLETED, RECHKED, AND STUDIED MY FLT PLAN. I HAD OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AND FILED MY FLT PLAN. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE TO PREFLT THE ACFT. I DID A COMPLETE PREFLT. I PUT IN AN ORDER FOR FUEL. GETTING OUT TO CHK THE NEW FUEL, ANOTHER PLT OFFERED TO CHK IT FOR ME. I CONSENTED. THIS WAS MY FIRST BIGGEST MISTAKE. BY ALLOWING ANOTHER PERSON TO CHK MY FUEL TANKS BEFORE TKOF, I FAILED TO ADHERE TO A CLRLY STATED REG. IT ALSO INDICATES A LAPSE IN MY OWN COMMON SENSE THAT DIRECTLY COMPROMISED MY SAFETY, AND POTENTIALLY COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ON THE GND. IT IS ALSO A GOOD LESSON IN THE IMPORTANCE OF STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE FARS -- THERE IS A REASON BEHIND EACH OF THE RULES THAT WE FOLLOW AS PLTS.

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.