A PA28 pilot experienced fuel exhaustion and landed in a field south of ZZZ.

Attributes
ACN	608675
Time
Date	200402
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3.4 flight time total : 158.5 flight time type : 96.2
ASRS Report	608675
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Running out of fuel caused the incident. An emergency landing was made in a farmer's field. Preflight check of the fuel tanks showed fuel level just below the tabs in both wings. After visual inspection of fuel it was thought to have more than 3 hours of fuel remaining. Logbook showed previous pilot flew the plane 2.2 hours. With this in mind and useful fuel available 5.5 hours for fuel tank, it was assumed that 3.3 hours of fuel remained. After start-up of plane, fuel gauges showed 1/2 tank of fuel in both tanks. Still thinking at least 3 hours of fuel available. Maximum time of flight was 2 hours. After 1.4 hours of flying, the engine quit and a successful landing was made in a farmer's field with no injuries or damage to the plane. The following day the plane was flown out of the field and back to its home airport. After reviewing the logbook on the fueling of the airplane, it showed that the plane had not been fueled the morning of the incident. Checking the fuel logbook with the plane's logbook, it was determined that the useful fuel on board the plane was only 1 hour. To prevent this type of incident from happening again, 2 things need to be done before entering the plane: 1) visual check of fuel tanks, 2) if fuel tanks are not full, then the fuel logbook needs to be checked to be certain of how much fuel is on board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION AND LANDED IN A FIELD S OF ZZZ.

Narrative: RUNNING OUT OF FUEL CAUSED THE INCIDENT. AN EMER LNDG WAS MADE IN A FARMER'S FIELD. PREFLT CHK OF THE FUEL TANKS SHOWED FUEL LEVEL JUST BELOW THE TABS IN BOTH WINGS. AFTER VISUAL INSPECTION OF FUEL IT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE MORE THAN 3 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING. LOGBOOK SHOWED PREVIOUS PLT FLEW THE PLANE 2.2 HRS. WITH THIS IN MIND AND USEFUL FUEL AVAILABLE 5.5 HRS FOR FUEL TANK, IT WAS ASSUMED THAT 3.3 HRS OF FUEL REMAINED. AFTER START-UP OF PLANE, FUEL GAUGES SHOWED 1/2 TANK OF FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. STILL THINKING AT LEAST 3 HRS OF FUEL AVAILABLE. MAX TIME OF FLT WAS 2 HRS. AFTER 1.4 HRS OF FLYING, THE ENG QUIT AND A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS MADE IN A FARMER'S FIELD WITH NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE PLANE WAS FLOWN OUT OF THE FIELD AND BACK TO ITS HOME ARPT. AFTER REVIEWING THE LOGBOOK ON THE FUELING OF THE AIRPLANE, IT SHOWED THAT THE PLANE HAD NOT BEEN FUELED THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT. CHKING THE FUEL LOGBOOK WITH THE PLANE'S LOGBOOK, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE USEFUL FUEL ON BOARD THE PLANE WAS ONLY 1 HR. TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, 2 THINGS NEED TO BE DONE BEFORE ENTERING THE PLANE: 1) VISUAL CHK OF FUEL TANKS, 2) IF FUEL TANKS ARE NOT FULL, THEN THE FUEL LOGBOOK NEEDS TO BE CHKED TO BE CERTAIN OF HOW MUCH FUEL IS ON BOARD.

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.