C172 pilots have fuel starvation and land on interstate highway.

Attributes
ACN	564707
Time
Date	200210
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 34 flight time total : 101.2 flight time type : 8.6
ASRS Report	564707
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	564704
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : evacuated controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I believe the failure was due to fuel exhaustion. Mr X had agreed to help me with instrument training. He is a highly respected examiner in the area. I had checked the fuel level and found the tanks full during the preflight. I also used my index finger and felt fuel at the point of just below my second knuckle. It was getting dark at that time. I informed mr X prior to departure that this was an unfamiliar aircraft to me. He called ground for an IFR release to ZZZ1 from ZZZ. He copied and repeated the clearance. We taxied to the runup area. All was normal and departed. The tachometer to ZZZ1 was 1.7 hours. We took a break so mr X could brief me. He asked me to check fuel after the ground training. I informed mr X we had just below 1/2 tank per side. He thought out loud for a moment with time and fuel consumption figures and stated we had enough fuel. I didn't dispute this when it seemed odd to use more than 1/2 tank per side to get to ZZZ1. We departed IFR to ZZZ. During vectoring for the ILS for runway 28R at ZZZ, the engine sputtered. Mr X took the controls. He set mixture rich and applied carburetor heat. It sputtered a while longer while he slid the mixture control back and forth. The engine regained power and the problem was excused as possible carburetor icing, as we just descended through a layer of clouds. At this point, we were already established on the localizer and were intercepting the GS. A few mins had passed with no further occurrence of trouble. TRACON informed us to close the flight plan after landing due to the tower was not open. This was at approximately XD30. Mr X still had the controls and the engine sputtered briefly and quit completely. Mr X immediately declared an emergency. We informed TRACON we could not make the runway, informed them the interstate was our choice if it were clear and lost contact. Mr X made the choice and put the aircraft down on the interstate, south of ZZZ. We exited the aircraft safely and began warning approaching traffic. In retrospect, I should have disputed the fuel level in ZZZ1. I could have suggested an alternate because I was constantly gazing at the diminishing levels on the gauges. During the first sputter, we could have made ZZZ2 airport. But all the while, I felt my judgement was irrelevant to his level of skill. I should and will now always trust what I feel and question what does not make sense to me. Total tachometer time was 3.6 hours. I am not IFR rated yet. This was an instructional flight for me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLTS HAVE FUEL STARVATION AND LAND ON INTERSTATE HWY.

Narrative: I BELIEVE THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. MR X HAD AGREED TO HELP ME WITH INST TRAINING. HE IS A HIGHLY RESPECTED EXAMINER IN THE AREA. I HAD CHKED THE FUEL LEVEL AND FOUND THE TANKS FULL DURING THE PREFLT. I ALSO USED MY INDEX FINGER AND FELT FUEL AT THE POINT OF JUST BELOW MY SECOND KNUCKLE. IT WAS GETTING DARK AT THAT TIME. I INFORMED MR X PRIOR TO DEP THAT THIS WAS AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT TO ME. HE CALLED GND FOR AN IFR RELEASE TO ZZZ1 FROM ZZZ. HE COPIED AND REPEATED THE CLRNC. WE TAXIED TO THE RUNUP AREA. ALL WAS NORMAL AND DEPARTED. THE TACHOMETER TO ZZZ1 WAS 1.7 HRS. WE TOOK A BREAK SO MR X COULD BRIEF ME. HE ASKED ME TO CHK FUEL AFTER THE GND TRAINING. I INFORMED MR X WE HAD JUST BELOW 1/2 TANK PER SIDE. HE THOUGHT OUT LOUD FOR A MOMENT WITH TIME AND FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES AND STATED WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL. I DIDN'T DISPUTE THIS WHEN IT SEEMED ODD TO USE MORE THAN 1/2 TANK PER SIDE TO GET TO ZZZ1. WE DEPARTED IFR TO ZZZ. DURING VECTORING FOR THE ILS FOR RWY 28R AT ZZZ, THE ENG SPUTTERED. MR X TOOK THE CTLS. HE SET MIXTURE RICH AND APPLIED CARB HEAT. IT SPUTTERED A WHILE LONGER WHILE HE SLID THE MIXTURE CTL BACK AND FORTH. THE ENG REGAINED PWR AND THE PROB WAS EXCUSED AS POSSIBLE CARB ICING, AS WE JUST DSNDED THROUGH A LAYER OF CLOUDS. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AND WERE INTERCEPTING THE GS. A FEW MINS HAD PASSED WITH NO FURTHER OCCURRENCE OF TROUBLE. TRACON INFORMED US TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN AFTER LNDG DUE TO THE TWR WAS NOT OPEN. THIS WAS AT APPROX XD30. MR X STILL HAD THE CTLS AND THE ENG SPUTTERED BRIEFLY AND QUIT COMPLETELY. MR X IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER. WE INFORMED TRACON WE COULD NOT MAKE THE RWY, INFORMED THEM THE INTERSTATE WAS OUR CHOICE IF IT WERE CLR AND LOST CONTACT. MR X MADE THE CHOICE AND PUT THE ACFT DOWN ON THE INTERSTATE, S OF ZZZ. WE EXITED THE ACFT SAFELY AND BEGAN WARNING APCHING TFC. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE DISPUTED THE FUEL LEVEL IN ZZZ1. I COULD HAVE SUGGESTED AN ALTERNATE BECAUSE I WAS CONSTANTLY GAZING AT THE DIMINISHING LEVELS ON THE GAUGES. DURING THE FIRST SPUTTER, WE COULD HAVE MADE ZZZ2 ARPT. BUT ALL THE WHILE, I FELT MY JUDGEMENT WAS IRRELEVANT TO HIS LEVEL OF SKILL. I SHOULD AND WILL NOW ALWAYS TRUST WHAT I FEEL AND QUESTION WHAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME. TOTAL TACHOMETER TIME WAS 3.6 HRS. I AM NOT IFR RATED YET. THIS WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT FOR ME.

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.