Narrative:

Aircraft is a composite high wing experimental with two wing fuel tanks; each with a shut-off valve; feeding a central header tank. Preflight included measuring fuel in each wing with a calibrated dipstick; and comparing measured fuel to an electronic fuel meter. Pilot wing tank dipstick measured 15 gals; passenger dipstick measured 12 gallons. Electronic metering measured 29 gals; considered within tolerance of error in dipstick. Flight was for pleasure and to evaluate performance of a new radio antenna. Takeoff was from ZZZ without incident. During cruise in the local area; the passenger side wing tank was valved closed; and fuel was drawn from the pilot's side wing tank. Fuel flow during cruise was 15-16 gph. Approximately 30 mins into a planned 1 hour flight; the fuel flow meter indicated zero and the engine lost power. The valve to the passenger wing; containing an additional 12 gallons of fuel; was immediately opened; but engine power was not restored. Mixture; throttle and propeller were pushed full forward. When engine power was not restored; the GPS was consulted for nearest airport. Nearest airport was 9 miles away. Pilot determined an off airport landing was necessary. A clear field was located; and the aircraft was landed without incident with power off. The owner of the field was contacted by the local sheriff. No aircraft damage occurred; and no injury. No damage to property occurred. The aircraft was left overnight with permission of owner's relative. On the next day; diagnostics were performed on the fuel system. It was determined that the cause of fuel flow loss was the unporting of the fuel pump when the header tank was emptied. Insufficient time was available to fill the header tank from the remaining wing tank before a forced landing was required. Remaining fuel measured in the two wing tanks totaled more than 12 gallons. Additional fuel was added; and the plane was flown out of the field without incident. The pilot neglected to try the electric fuel pump after power loss. However; it is believed that the fuel pump would have been inoperative in this situation; until the header tank filled by gravity feed. The pilot/builder believes this design (compair) needs to have a modified header tank to include a low fuel warning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter recommends the kit manufacturer install a low fuel quantity warning system in the header tank as this tank must always be full. The off field landing did not damage the airplane and no injuries were incurred. The reporter said the fuel remaining in both tanks totaled 17 gallons.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SINGLE ENG HIGH WING EXPERIMENTAL WITH TWO WING TANKS; MADE AN OFF FIELD LNDG FROM FUEL STARVATION WITH 17 GALLONS TOTAL FUEL IN BOTH TANKS.

Narrative: ACFT IS A COMPOSITE HIGH WING EXPERIMENTAL WITH TWO WING FUEL TANKS; EACH WITH A SHUT-OFF VALVE; FEEDING A CENTRAL HEADER TANK. PREFLT INCLUDED MEASURING FUEL IN EACH WING WITH A CALIBRATED DIPSTICK; AND COMPARING MEASURED FUEL TO AN ELECTRONIC FUEL METER. PLT WING TANK DIPSTICK MEASURED 15 GALS; PAX DIPSTICK MEASURED 12 GALLONS. ELECTRONIC METERING MEASURED 29 GALS; CONSIDERED WITHIN TOLERANCE OF ERROR IN DIPSTICK. FLT WAS FOR PLEASURE AND TO EVALUATE PERFORMANCE OF A NEW RADIO ANTENNA. TKOF WAS FROM ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING CRUISE IN THE LOCAL AREA; THE PAX SIDE WING TANK WAS VALVED CLOSED; AND FUEL WAS DRAWN FROM THE PLT'S SIDE WING TANK. FUEL FLOW DURING CRUISE WAS 15-16 GPH. APPROX 30 MINS INTO A PLANNED 1 HR FLT; THE FUEL FLOW METER INDICATED ZERO AND THE ENG LOST POWER. THE VALVE TO THE PAX WING; CONTAINING AN ADDITIONAL 12 GALLONS OF FUEL; WAS IMMEDIATELY OPENED; BUT ENG POWER WAS NOT RESTORED. MIXTURE; THROTTLE AND PROP WERE PUSHED FULL FORWARD. WHEN ENG POWER WAS NOT RESTORED; THE GPS WAS CONSULTED FOR NEAREST ARPT. NEAREST ARPT WAS 9 MILES AWAY. PLT DETERMINED AN OFF ARPT LNDG WAS NECESSARY. A CLR FIELD WAS LOCATED; AND THE ACFT WAS LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH POWER OFF. THE OWNER OF THE FIELD WAS CONTACTED BY THE LOCAL SHERIFF. NO ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED; AND NO INJURY. NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OCCURRED. THE ACFT WAS LEFT OVERNIGHT WITH PERMISSION OF OWNER'S RELATIVE. ON THE NEXT DAY; DIAGNOSTICS WERE PERFORMED ON THE FUEL SYSTEM. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF FUEL FLOW LOSS WAS THE UNPORTING OF THE FUEL PUMP WHEN THE HEADER TANK WAS EMPTIED. INSUFFICIENT TIME WAS AVAILABLE TO FILL THE HEADER TANK FROM THE REMAINING WING TANK BEFORE A FORCED LNDG WAS REQUIRED. REMAINING FUEL MEASURED IN THE TWO WING TANKS TOTALED MORE THAN 12 GALLONS. ADDITIONAL FUEL WAS ADDED; AND THE PLANE WAS FLOWN OUT OF THE FIELD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PLT NEGLECTED TO TRY THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AFTER POWER LOSS. HOWEVER; IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WOULD HAVE BEEN INOP IN THIS SIT; UNTIL THE HEADER TANK FILLED BY GRAVITY FEED. THE PLT/BUILDER BELIEVES THIS DESIGN (COMPAIR) NEEDS TO HAVE A MODIFIED HEADER TANK TO INCLUDE A LOW FUEL WARNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR RECOMMENDS THE KIT MANUFACTURER INSTALL A LOW FUEL QUANTITY WARNING SYSTEM IN THE HEADER TANK AS THIS TANK MUST ALWAYS BE FULL. THE OFF FIELD LNDG DID NOT DAMAGE THE AIRPLANE AND NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED. THE RPTR SAID THE FUEL REMAINING IN BOTH TANKS TOTALED 17 GALLONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.