Narrative:

We departed 1m1, north little rock municipal, with full fuel for a 2.5 hour VFR flight to a private field at lucedale, ms. WX was good for the entire route. En route, winds were substantially higher than anticipated (30 KTS on nose). The result was a 3.1 en route and arrival with minimum VFR fuel. I had been to the field about 2 yrs prior. Sure that I could find the field, I continued to circle and look for the runway. We called on the runway VHF frequency and even called the field cell phone number. Time passed quickly, but not as fast as the low altitude movement of the fuel gauge toward 'empty.' I allowed the gauge to run so low that I was uncertain of the amount of fuel remaining. I knew very little usable fuel would soon force us into an emergency situation. We returned to a nearby 4 lane divided highway with no automatic traffic in sight. We landed and called the police on a cell phone. After receiving instructions on the runway location, adding some fuel and asking the police to block any traffic, we departed and landed at the field without further incident. Contributing factors; private runway not on the current charts. Private runway did not have an operational radio that day. Arriving at a different season so the fields, trees, crops and surrounding areas were different colors. Pilot factors: failure to land en route and refuel. Trusting on visual acquisition of the runway. Failure to anticipate the need to circle for runway acquisition. Continuing to look and omit the fuel situation from decision list. Not diverting to an appropriate landing area at the correct 'bingo' fuel level. How would I prevent future occurrences? Don't descend to minimum altitude and search for a remote landing area. Fuel flow increases and your options quickly begin to decrease. Finally, I will treat the VFR fuel requirements with the same seriousness that the IFR reserve warrants. This proved important on a bright sunny day with over 10 mi visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT, DUE TO A LOW FUEL SIT, ELECTED TO LAND ON A HWY WHEN UNABLE TO LOCATE DEST ARPT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED 1M1, NORTH LITTLE ROCK MUNICIPAL, WITH FULL FUEL FOR A 2.5 HR VFR FLT TO A PVT FIELD AT LUCEDALE, MS. WX WAS GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE RTE. ENRTE, WINDS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED (30 KTS ON NOSE). THE RESULT WAS A 3.1 ENRTE AND ARR WITH MINIMUM VFR FUEL. I HAD BEEN TO THE FIELD ABOUT 2 YRS PRIOR. SURE THAT I COULD FIND THE FIELD, I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE AND LOOK FOR THE RWY. WE CALLED ON THE RWY VHF FREQ AND EVEN CALLED THE FIELD CELL PHONE NUMBER. TIME PASSED QUICKLY, BUT NOT AS FAST AS THE LOW ALT MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL GAUGE TOWARD 'EMPTY.' I ALLOWED THE GAUGE TO RUN SO LOW THAT I WAS UNCERTAIN OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING. I KNEW VERY LITTLE USABLE FUEL WOULD SOON FORCE US INTO AN EMER SIT. WE RETURNED TO A NEARBY 4 LANE DIVIDED HWY WITH NO AUTO TFC IN SIGHT. WE LANDED AND CALLED THE POLICE ON A CELL PHONE. AFTER RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE RWY LOCATION, ADDING SOME FUEL AND ASKING THE POLICE TO BLOCK ANY TFC, WE DEPARTED AND LANDED AT THE FIELD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; PVT RWY NOT ON THE CURRENT CHARTS. PVT RWY DID NOT HAVE AN OPERATIONAL RADIO THAT DAY. ARRIVING AT A DIFFERENT SEASON SO THE FIELDS, TREES, CROPS AND SURROUNDING AREAS WERE DIFFERENT COLORS. PLT FACTORS: FAILURE TO LAND ENRTE AND REFUEL. TRUSTING ON VISUAL ACQUISITION OF THE RWY. FAILURE TO ANTICIPATE THE NEED TO CIRCLE FOR RWY ACQUISITION. CONTINUING TO LOOK AND OMIT THE FUEL SIT FROM DECISION LIST. NOT DIVERTING TO AN APPROPRIATE LNDG AREA AT THE CORRECT 'BINGO' FUEL LEVEL. HOW WOULD I PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES? DON'T DSND TO MINIMUM ALT AND SEARCH FOR A REMOTE LNDG AREA. FUEL FLOW INCREASES AND YOUR OPTIONS QUICKLY BEGIN TO DECREASE. FINALLY, I WILL TREAT THE VFR FUEL REQUIREMENTS WITH THE SAME SERIOUSNESS THAT THE IFR RESERVE WARRANTS. THIS PROVED IMPORTANT ON A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY WITH OVER 10 MI VISIBILITY.

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.