Narrative:

I've been a CFI for nearly 2 yrs now and have given nearly 700 hours of dual instruction. I guess familiarity breeds complacency, though it's a trap I'd hoped to avoid. My experience doesn't automatically protect me though, and mistakes still happen. My mistake was made during a dual flight in a C152. During our preflight, we measured 14 gallons of fuel. The C152 burns about 6 gph, so that gave us about 2 hours 15 mins of flight -- 1 hour 45 mins of flight with 30 mins of reserve. Our flight was only supposed to be 1 1/2 hours, so I decided we didn't need extra fuel and thought no more about it. This lesson, however, was late in the day before the student's check ride (which was first thing the next morning). When some maneuvers looked weak, I didn't think twice about letting the student try again. I lost track of time. Finally, we were ready to return to the field. We were positioning ourselves to get on a 45 degree entry to downwind, but only made it to about 2 mi from the approach end when the engine began to surge. I realized the student wasn't causing it when I saw her look. I took the controls and told her I had them. We headed straight for the runway and immediately pitched for best glide speed. When the engine surged, the plane would climb. I decided we were within gliding distance and brought the throttle to idle so that the situation was more like the simulated engine out lndgs I had practiced. We declared an emergency on CTAF and the only other traffic in the area assured us he would steer clear. As we taxied to parking, my student pointed to the gauges and asked if we had run out of fuel -- they were pegged at 'east!' I couldn't believe it! We quickly calculated hobbs time. It was 2.2 - 2 hours and 15 mins! I blinked and looked at my watch. I would never have let this happen on a cross country, and I have always told my students that running out of fuel is one of the dumbest reasons to crash. Yet, here stood my airplane nearly empty. During the flight, I was thinking about steep turns and s-turns and scanning for traffic, but my scan should have included the hobbs meter, too. I thank god we were by the airport when we lost our engine. No one got hurt and no property was damaged. Next time I may not get that chance, so I will not let 'next time' happen. I hope others will do the same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 CFI RUNS OUT OF FUEL DURING A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT AND MANAGES TO DEAD STICK IT DOWN ON THE HOME ARPT AT MBT, TN.

Narrative: I'VE BEEN A CFI FOR NEARLY 2 YRS NOW AND HAVE GIVEN NEARLY 700 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION. I GUESS FAMILIARITY BREEDS COMPLACENCY, THOUGH IT'S A TRAP I'D HOPED TO AVOID. MY EXPERIENCE DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY PROTECT ME THOUGH, AND MISTAKES STILL HAPPEN. MY MISTAKE WAS MADE DURING A DUAL FLT IN A C152. DURING OUR PREFLT, WE MEASURED 14 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE C152 BURNS ABOUT 6 GPH, SO THAT GAVE US ABOUT 2 HRS 15 MINS OF FLT -- 1 HR 45 MINS OF FLT WITH 30 MINS OF RESERVE. OUR FLT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE 1 1/2 HRS, SO I DECIDED WE DIDN'T NEED EXTRA FUEL AND THOUGHT NO MORE ABOUT IT. THIS LESSON, HOWEVER, WAS LATE IN THE DAY BEFORE THE STUDENT'S CHK RIDE (WHICH WAS FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING). WHEN SOME MANEUVERS LOOKED WEAK, I DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT LETTING THE STUDENT TRY AGAIN. I LOST TRACK OF TIME. FINALLY, WE WERE READY TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. WE WERE POSITIONING OURSELVES TO GET ON A 45 DEG ENTRY TO DOWNWIND, BUT ONLY MADE IT TO ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE APCH END WHEN THE ENG BEGAN TO SURGE. I REALIZED THE STUDENT WASN'T CAUSING IT WHEN I SAW HER LOOK. I TOOK THE CTLS AND TOLD HER I HAD THEM. WE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY PITCHED FOR BEST GLIDE SPD. WHEN THE ENG SURGED, THE PLANE WOULD CLB. I DECIDED WE WERE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE AND BROUGHT THE THROTTLE TO IDLE SO THAT THE SIT WAS MORE LIKE THE SIMULATED ENG OUT LNDGS I HAD PRACTICED. WE DECLARED AN EMER ON CTAF AND THE ONLY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA ASSURED US HE WOULD STEER CLR. AS WE TAXIED TO PARKING, MY STUDENT POINTED TO THE GAUGES AND ASKED IF WE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL -- THEY WERE PEGGED AT 'E!' I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! WE QUICKLY CALCULATED HOBBS TIME. IT WAS 2.2 - 2 HRS AND 15 MINS! I BLINKED AND LOOKED AT MY WATCH. I WOULD NEVER HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN ON A XCOUNTRY, AND I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD MY STUDENTS THAT RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IS ONE OF THE DUMBEST REASONS TO CRASH. YET, HERE STOOD MY AIRPLANE NEARLY EMPTY. DURING THE FLT, I WAS THINKING ABOUT STEEP TURNS AND S-TURNS AND SCANNING FOR TFC, BUT MY SCAN SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE HOBBS METER, TOO. I THANK GOD WE WERE BY THE ARPT WHEN WE LOST OUR ENG. NO ONE GOT HURT AND NO PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. NEXT TIME I MAY NOT GET THAT CHANCE, SO I WILL NOT LET 'NEXT TIME' HAPPEN. I HOPE OTHERS WILL DO THE SAME.

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.