C182 pilot makes forced landing on highway.

Attributes
ACN	554887
Time
Date	200207
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rdu.tower
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 290 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	554887
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was flying as one of the staff tow pilots. On jul/sun/02, after approximately 2.3 hours of flying, I contacted glider operations to inform them that I would be going to the ZZZ1 to refuel. Glider operations asked if I had enough fuel to make 2 more tows before refueling. I looked at my gauges and read just over 5 gallons in the right tank and just over 10 gallons in the left tank and radioed that I could make 1 more tow. After the tow, I passed over the field to drop the rope and headed north for the 15 min flight to ZZZ1. Approximately 4 mi out on climb out, the engine quit. I picked a spot on the ZZZ1 highway for landing, made a radio call back to glider operations that I was going to land on the highway, and saw that the gauges were still reading approximately 13 gallons with about 9 gallons in the left tank. I switched the fuel selector to left, but the wind milling propeller did not start up. I landed on the highway without incident, waited for assistance, fuel, and clearance from the state police to take off. The cause of the problem was improper fuel management, underestimating the fuel burn rate under towing conditions (which calculated out after the fact at 14.6 rather than the typical 11 gph) and reliance on faulty fuel gauges. Prevention would be addressed by more conservative fuel estimates and more frequent visual checks with the sticks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT MAKES FORCED LNDG ON HWY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS ONE OF THE STAFF TOW PLTS. ON JUL/SUN/02, AFTER APPROX 2.3 HRS OF FLYING, I CONTACTED GLIDER OPS TO INFORM THEM THAT I WOULD BE GOING TO THE ZZZ1 TO REFUEL. GLIDER OPS ASKED IF I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE 2 MORE TOWS BEFORE REFUELING. I LOOKED AT MY GAUGES AND READ JUST OVER 5 GALLONS IN THE R TANK AND JUST OVER 10 GALLONS IN THE L TANK AND RADIOED THAT I COULD MAKE 1 MORE TOW. AFTER THE TOW, I PASSED OVER THE FIELD TO DROP THE ROPE AND HEADED N FOR THE 15 MIN FLT TO ZZZ1. APPROX 4 MI OUT ON CLBOUT, THE ENG QUIT. I PICKED A SPOT ON THE ZZZ1 HWY FOR LNDG, MADE A RADIO CALL BACK TO GLIDER OPS THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND ON THE HWY, AND SAW THAT THE GAUGES WERE STILL READING APPROX 13 GALLONS WITH ABOUT 9 GALLONS IN THE L TANK. I SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO L, BUT THE WIND MILLING PROP DID NOT START UP. I LANDED ON THE HWY WITHOUT INCIDENT, WAITED FOR ASSISTANCE, FUEL, AND CLRNC FROM THE STATE POLICE TO TAKE OFF. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS IMPROPER FUEL MGMNT, UNDERESTIMATING THE FUEL BURN RATE UNDER TOWING CONDITIONS (WHICH CALCULATED OUT AFTER THE FACT AT 14.6 RATHER THAN THE TYPICAL 11 GPH) AND RELIANCE ON FAULTY FUEL GAUGES. PREVENTION WOULD BE ADDRESSED BY MORE CONSERVATIVE FUEL ESTIMATES AND MORE FREQUENT VISUAL CHKS WITH THE STICKS.

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.