Narrative:

I departed charlottetown, prince edward island (cyyg) en route to bangor, me (bgr) in my beechcraft musketeer (B23). The distance is 263 NM. At preflight, I brought the fuel tanks to 22 gallons each and visually confirmed the fueling. I anticipated that the fuel burn would be the usual 10.5 gph which would give me 4 hours 30 mins of flying. This is a conservative estimate for the lycoming 180 hp 360 engine and has been appropriate for every flight I have made in this plane since I purchased it 12 yrs ago. This would give me nearly a 2 hour reserve which was more than needed or required for the VFR (clear and better than 30 mi visibility) conditions. The fuel was being managed based upon a time calculation. We began with the conservative notation of 120 mins in each tank and recalculated every 30 mins. The calculations were noted regularly on our flight notes and the remaining fuel/time in each tank was noted as we switched tanks en route. At the point 2 hours 6 mins into the flight, the left fuel tank became exhausted and I switched to the right tank. At 2 hours 28 mins, the right tank became exhausted. I then initiated a glide from 4000 ft to a field which I had preselected for an off-airport landing if necessary. I regularly land on short grass runways and the landing was normal. There were no injuries to myself or my wife (the only passenger). The plane was not damaged. There was no property damage on the ground. After landing, inspection of each tank revealed no visible fuel. Later in the day, the aircraft was refueled on-site and flown without incident to bgr for topping off. The journey was continued to norwood, ma (owd) without incident. On further inspection at owd, the tanks had burned the usual 20 gallons for the 2 hour trip from bangor. Because this rate of fuel consumption has never been witnessed before, and wishing to avoid a repeat of the event, I have ordered a fuel flow computer which will be installed in the aircraft at annual next month.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE23 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS AND HAD AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I DEPARTED CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND (CYYG) ENRTE TO BANGOR, ME (BGR) IN MY BEECHCRAFT MUSKETEER (B23). THE DISTANCE IS 263 NM. AT PREFLT, I BROUGHT THE FUEL TANKS TO 22 GALLONS EACH AND VISUALLY CONFIRMED THE FUELING. I ANTICIPATED THAT THE FUEL BURN WOULD BE THE USUAL 10.5 GPH WHICH WOULD GIVE ME 4 HRS 30 MINS OF FLYING. THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE FOR THE LYCOMING 180 HP 360 ENG AND HAS BEEN APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY FLT I HAVE MADE IN THIS PLANE SINCE I PURCHASED IT 12 YRS AGO. THIS WOULD GIVE ME NEARLY A 2 HR RESERVE WHICH WAS MORE THAN NEEDED OR REQUIRED FOR THE VFR (CLR AND BETTER THAN 30 MI VISIBILITY) CONDITIONS. THE FUEL WAS BEING MANAGED BASED UPON A TIME CALCULATION. WE BEGAN WITH THE CONSERVATIVE NOTATION OF 120 MINS IN EACH TANK AND RECALCULATED EVERY 30 MINS. THE CALCULATIONS WERE NOTED REGULARLY ON OUR FLT NOTES AND THE REMAINING FUEL/TIME IN EACH TANK WAS NOTED AS WE SWITCHED TANKS ENRTE. AT THE POINT 2 HRS 6 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE L FUEL TANK BECAME EXHAUSTED AND I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK. AT 2 HRS 28 MINS, THE R TANK BECAME EXHAUSTED. I THEN INITIATED A GLIDE FROM 4000 FT TO A FIELD WHICH I HAD PRESELECTED FOR AN OFF-ARPT LNDG IF NECESSARY. I REGULARLY LAND ON SHORT GRASS RWYS AND THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO MYSELF OR MY WIFE (THE ONLY PAX). THE PLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE ON THE GND. AFTER LNDG, INSPECTION OF EACH TANK REVEALED NO VISIBLE FUEL. LATER IN THE DAY, THE ACFT WAS REFUELED ON-SITE AND FLOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT TO BGR FOR TOPPING OFF. THE JOURNEY WAS CONTINUED TO NORWOOD, MA (OWD) WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON FURTHER INSPECTION AT OWD, THE TANKS HAD BURNED THE USUAL 20 GALLONS FOR THE 2 HR TRIP FROM BANGOR. BECAUSE THIS RATE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION HAS NEVER BEEN WITNESSED BEFORE, AND WISHING TO AVOID A REPEAT OF THE EVENT, I HAVE ORDERED A FUEL FLOW COMPUTER WHICH WILL BE INSTALLED IN THE ACFT AT ANNUAL NEXT MONTH.

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.