Narrative:

I departed on a long cross country. The flight was a training flight in preparation for my commercial certification. I was flying a C150T with 4 hours of fuel on board. The winds were forecast 340 degrees at 8 KTS at 6000 ft. Based on this, I estimated that my ground speed would be 97 mph and my time en route would be 3 hours. As I went along from chkpoint to chkpoint, it became obvious that my ground speed was not as fast as estimated and the flight was taking longer than anticipated. I began to become increasingly concerned about my fuel. I decided that I would deviate from my flight plan and land at ZZZ1 to get fuel. As I approached ZZZ1, I called the FBO and inquired as to whether or not he had fuel, he said no. He told me that the nearest place to get fuel was ZZZ2 or ZZZ3 (I misunderstood him to say ZZZ or ZZZ3). I still believed I had enough fuel to get to ZZZ and since it was my original destination anyway, I rationalized that I should simply continue on to ZZZ. As I neared ZZZ, approximately 7 mi out at 6500 ft I ran out of fuel. I could see the airport but didn't believe I could reach it. I set up a 65 'nt' glide and started going through my checks. Since I knew that the problem was fuel starvation, I also knew that there was precious little I could do other than try to make the airport and keep an eye out for alternative landing spots in case I couldn't make the airport. At 2500 ft it was obvious that I would not make the airport so I headed toward a field I had picked out then called a pilot I heard talking on the radio and asked him to inform someone that I would be going down a few mi east of ZZZ airport in a field. This allowed me to concentrate on flying the airplane. I flew to the field and once I knew I had the field made, I set up for a soft field landing. I landed in the field without mishap and rolled to a stop without injury to myself or damage to the aircraft. I consider myself to be extremely lucky! I got out of the airplane and called 911 on my cell phone. The person that answered said he had already heard from the other pilot about the mishap and that someone was on the way out to check on me. In the meantime, I called my departure airport to let them know what happened and ask them to cancel my flight plan. Shortly a policeman showed up and got in touch with the FBO at ZZZ who came out with another pilot to look the situation over. We measured the field and determined that there was plenty of room to take off so I got 10 gallons of fuel and took off. I flew to ZZZ3, topped off the tanks and flew home without further incident. In hindsight it is obvious that I made many bad choices on this flight, the most glaring of which was not to land the airplane when I had an airport in sight (ZZZ1) and I knew I was low on fuel. I also realize that if I had made a better flight plan I would have realized that ZZZ1 didn't sell fuel. I also realized that on a long flight where fuel might become an issue, it might be wise to plan fuel stops on the leg heading into the wind. I believe this because I ran out of fuel on the way to ZZZ but on the return flight I had quarter tanks when I landed at departure airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ON A LONG XCOUNTRY. THE FLT WAS A TRAINING FLT IN PREPARATION FOR MY COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATION. I WAS FLYING A C150T WITH 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE WINDS WERE FORECAST 340 DEGS AT 8 KTS AT 6000 FT. BASED ON THIS, I ESTIMATED THAT MY GND SPD WOULD BE 97 MPH AND MY TIME ENRTE WOULD BE 3 HRS. AS I WENT ALONG FROM CHKPOINT TO CHKPOINT, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT MY GND SPD WAS NOT AS FAST AS ESTIMATED AND THE FLT WAS TAKING LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED. I BEGAN TO BECOME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT MY FUEL. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD DEVIATE FROM MY FLT PLAN AND LAND AT ZZZ1 TO GET FUEL. AS I APCHED ZZZ1, I CALLED THE FBO AND INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD FUEL, HE SAID NO. HE TOLD ME THAT THE NEAREST PLACE TO GET FUEL WAS ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3 (I MISUNDERSTOOD HIM TO SAY ZZZ OR ZZZ3). I STILL BELIEVED I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO ZZZ AND SINCE IT WAS MY ORIGINAL DEST ANYWAY, I RATIONALIZED THAT I SHOULD SIMPLY CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ. AS I NEARED ZZZ, APPROX 7 MI OUT AT 6500 FT I RAN OUT OF FUEL. I COULD SEE THE ARPT BUT DIDN'T BELIEVE I COULD REACH IT. I SET UP A 65 'NT' GLIDE AND STARTED GOING THROUGH MY CHKS. SINCE I KNEW THAT THE PROB WAS FUEL STARVATION, I ALSO KNEW THAT THERE WAS PRECIOUS LITTLE I COULD DO OTHER THAN TRY TO MAKE THE ARPT AND KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ALTERNATIVE LNDG SPOTS IN CASE I COULDN'T MAKE THE ARPT. AT 2500 FT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE THE ARPT SO I HEADED TOWARD A FIELD I HAD PICKED OUT THEN CALLED A PLT I HEARD TALKING ON THE RADIO AND ASKED HIM TO INFORM SOMEONE THAT I WOULD BE GOING DOWN A FEW MI E OF ZZZ ARPT IN A FIELD. THIS ALLOWED ME TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE. I FLEW TO THE FIELD AND ONCE I KNEW I HAD THE FIELD MADE, I SET UP FOR A SOFT FIELD LNDG. I LANDED IN THE FIELD WITHOUT MISHAP AND ROLLED TO A STOP WITHOUT INJURY TO MYSELF OR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE EXTREMELY LUCKY! I GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND CALLED 911 ON MY CELL PHONE. THE PERSON THAT ANSWERED SAID HE HAD ALREADY HEARD FROM THE OTHER PLT ABOUT THE MISHAP AND THAT SOMEONE WAS ON THE WAY OUT TO CHK ON ME. IN THE MEANTIME, I CALLED MY DEP ARPT TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND ASK THEM TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN. SHORTLY A POLICEMAN SHOWED UP AND GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE FBO AT ZZZ WHO CAME OUT WITH ANOTHER PLT TO LOOK THE SIT OVER. WE MEASURED THE FIELD AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO TAKE OFF SO I GOT 10 GALLONS OF FUEL AND TOOK OFF. I FLEW TO ZZZ3, TOPPED OFF THE TANKS AND FLEW HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN HINDSIGHT IT IS OBVIOUS THAT I MADE MANY BAD CHOICES ON THIS FLT, THE MOST GLARING OF WHICH WAS NOT TO LAND THE AIRPLANE WHEN I HAD AN ARPT IN SIGHT (ZZZ1) AND I KNEW I WAS LOW ON FUEL. I ALSO REALIZE THAT IF I HAD MADE A BETTER FLT PLAN I WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT ZZZ1 DIDN'T SELL FUEL. I ALSO REALIZED THAT ON A LONG FLT WHERE FUEL MIGHT BECOME AN ISSUE, IT MIGHT BE WISE TO PLAN FUEL STOPS ON THE LEG HEADING INTO THE WIND. I BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE I RAN OUT OF FUEL ON THE WAY TO ZZZ BUT ON THE RETURN FLT I HAD QUARTER TANKS WHEN I LANDED AT DEP ARPT.

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.