Narrative:

I was a non fly pilot/passenger in the right seat of a C182. I arrived at the aircraft (at ZZZ) after the pilot had completed his preflight inspection. During run-up, we noticed the left fuel gauge read near empty, the right gauge read full. We checked the fuel selector and found it in the 'left only' position. The pilot stated that he knew the plane had fuel and suspected that the left gauge was faulty. I had been unable to verify fuel quantity during preflight because there were no steps on the struts or ladder available, so I trusted the pilot, who had many more yrs experience. I said I believed it was likely, however, given the selector position, that the gauge was reading correctly, and that the previous pilot had set the selector in the wrong position. It was placarded that use of right only or left only was recommended only for straight and level flight. I reset the fuel selector position to both. Since the right gauge read full (37 gallons), I said that if he was sure the airplane had fuel, that I was comfortable flying 1 hour with 37 gallons. A few mins after takeoff, at 1800 ft, just crossing the north/east shoreline of the bay, the engine quit. The pilot applied full throttle and full rich mixture. I told him I was selecting the right fuel tank, and I called for carburetor heat and fuel pump. The engine did not restart. I asked him to declare an emergency, which he did (we had just tuned to ZZZ2 approach). The pilot radioed he was returning to ZZZ, I said 'no, ZZZ1' (because I did not want to cross back over the bay). He agreed. I said we were not going to make ZZZ1 and that we needed to choose a site for landing. I pointed out a highway, which the pilot rejected. I then pointed out a field, to which he agreed. During downwind, the stall warning sounded. I shouted 'airspeed, airspeed.' the pilot recovered. During turn to final at approximately 60-80 ft AGL, the stall warning again sounded and I felt the airplane sink. The airspeed was decreasing rapidly. I grabbed the yoke and pushed it forward. The stall abated. Just before touchdown, I pulled back full on the yoke. The airplane landed hard but was not damaged and there were no injuries. Both fuel tanks were actually empty, although the right gauge still read 'full.' we subsequently learned that the previous day it had been defueled for a weight and balance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT PAX AND PLT TOOK OFF WITH EMPTY FUEL TANKS, RAN OUT OF GAS, AND HAD AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG. NEITHER PLT VISUALLY CHKED THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE TANKS, ON THE PREFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: I WAS A NON FLY PLT/PAX IN THE R SEAT OF A C182. I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT (AT ZZZ) AFTER THE PLT HAD COMPLETED HIS PREFLT INSPECTION. DURING RUN-UP, WE NOTICED THE L FUEL GAUGE READ NEAR EMPTY, THE R GAUGE READ FULL. WE CHKED THE FUEL SELECTOR AND FOUND IT IN THE 'L ONLY' POS. THE PLT STATED THAT HE KNEW THE PLANE HAD FUEL AND SUSPECTED THAT THE L GAUGE WAS FAULTY. I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO VERIFY FUEL QUANTITY DURING PREFLT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO STEPS ON THE STRUTS OR LADDER AVAILABLE, SO I TRUSTED THE PLT, WHO HAD MANY MORE YRS EXPERIENCE. I SAID I BELIEVED IT WAS LIKELY, HOWEVER, GIVEN THE SELECTOR POS, THAT THE GAUGE WAS READING CORRECTLY, AND THAT THE PREVIOUS PLT HAD SET THE SELECTOR IN THE WRONG POS. IT WAS PLACARDED THAT USE OF R ONLY OR L ONLY WAS RECOMMENDED ONLY FOR STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT. I RESET THE FUEL SELECTOR POS TO BOTH. SINCE THE R GAUGE READ FULL (37 GALLONS), I SAID THAT IF HE WAS SURE THE AIRPLANE HAD FUEL, THAT I WAS COMFORTABLE FLYING 1 HR WITH 37 GALLONS. A FEW MINS AFTER TKOF, AT 1800 FT, JUST XING THE N/E SHORELINE OF THE BAY, THE ENG QUIT. THE PLT APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND FULL RICH MIXTURE. I TOLD HIM I WAS SELECTING THE R FUEL TANK, AND I CALLED FOR CARB HEAT AND FUEL PUMP. THE ENG DID NOT RESTART. I ASKED HIM TO DECLARE AN EMER, WHICH HE DID (WE HAD JUST TUNED TO ZZZ2 APCH). THE PLT RADIOED HE WAS RETURNING TO ZZZ, I SAID 'NO, ZZZ1' (BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO CROSS BACK OVER THE BAY). HE AGREED. I SAID WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE ZZZ1 AND THAT WE NEEDED TO CHOOSE A SITE FOR LNDG. I POINTED OUT A HWY, WHICH THE PLT REJECTED. I THEN POINTED OUT A FIELD, TO WHICH HE AGREED. DURING DOWNWIND, THE STALL WARNING SOUNDED. I SHOUTED 'AIRSPD, AIRSPD.' THE PLT RECOVERED. DURING TURN TO FINAL AT APPROX 60-80 FT AGL, THE STALL WARNING AGAIN SOUNDED AND I FELT THE AIRPLANE SINK. THE AIRSPD WAS DECREASING RAPIDLY. I GRABBED THE YOKE AND PUSHED IT FORWARD. THE STALL ABATED. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, I PULLED BACK FULL ON THE YOKE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD BUT WAS NOT DAMAGED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE ACTUALLY EMPTY, ALTHOUGH THE R GAUGE STILL READ 'FULL.' WE SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT THE PREVIOUS DAY IT HAD BEEN DEFUELED FOR A WT AND BAL.

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.