A single pilot made a forced off airport landing due to fuel exhaustion 5 NM north of hrl.

Attributes
ACN	617799
Time
Date	200405
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hrl.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hrl.tower tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 194.3
ASRS Report	617799
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flew aircraft on a planned VFR flight to ZZZ1. Aircraft fueled to maximum capacity. Visually checked full with full readings, both left and right tanks (24.5 gallons). Flew 3.6 hours with projected burn of 5.7 gph. Decided to land at ZZZ to shorten trip as fuel gauge read 118 full on approximately 6 mi final for runway 17L. The aircraft began indicating possible engine failure or fuel starvation. Elected to safely land on highway with no opposing traffic. Towed aircraft onto side of dirt road. Once clear of the road, tower was advised of safe landing via air carrier relay. Local police and fire departments arrived to verify situation. Local FBO notified for aircraft check and possible fuel requirement. FAA notified by local tower. Spoke with FAA inspector in charge to obtain permission to fuel and aircraft status. Fueled aircraft and performed check. Aircraft appeared normal. Flew aircraft to ZZZ. Normal takeoff and landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SINGLE PLT MADE A FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION 5 NM N OF HRL.

Narrative: FLEW ACFT ON A PLANNED VFR FLT TO ZZZ1. ACFT FUELED TO MAX CAPACITY. VISUALLY CHKED FULL WITH FULL READINGS, BOTH L AND R TANKS (24.5 GALLONS). FLEW 3.6 HRS WITH PROJECTED BURN OF 5.7 GPH. DECIDED TO LAND AT ZZZ TO SHORTEN TRIP AS FUEL GAUGE READ 118 FULL ON APPROX 6 MI FINAL FOR RWY 17L. THE ACFT BEGAN INDICATING POSSIBLE ENG FAILURE OR FUEL STARVATION. ELECTED TO SAFELY LAND ON HWY WITH NO OPPOSING TFC. TOWED ACFT ONTO SIDE OF DIRT ROAD. ONCE CLR OF THE ROAD, TWR WAS ADVISED OF SAFE LNDG VIA ACR RELAY. LCL POLICE AND FIRE DEPTS ARRIVED TO VERIFY SIT. LCL FBO NOTIFIED FOR ACFT CHK AND POSSIBLE FUEL REQUIREMENT. FAA NOTIFIED BY LCL TWR. SPOKE WITH FAA INSPECTOR IN CHARGE TO OBTAIN PERMISSION TO FUEL AND ACFT STATUS. FUELED ACFT AND PERFORMED CHK. ACFT APPEARED NORMAL. FLEW ACFT TO ZZZ. NORMAL TKOF AND LNDG.

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.