Narrative:

On apr/tue/05 at approximately XD40; myself (acting PIC) and mr abc (equally rated pilot) had an emergency landing in a field at night; 6 NM from our home base due to fuel starvation. Our flight school that we both work for asked us to bring back a C152 that just had a complete paint job. We both performed 3 thorough preflts prior to taxiing the aircraft. We topped off the tanks (23.8 gallons) at XA10. We did not call FSS for a WX briefing because the FBO has a WX computer that we used in lieu of FSS. We took the poh for the airplane; and an electronic E6-B and calculated our fuel burns for the 360 NM trip home to find out where we would be stopping for fuel en route. We both looked at the performance charts (time; fuel; and distance to climb; range profiles; cruise charts; etc). The winds aloft were forecast to be 280 degrees at 45 KTS at 9000 ft; a direct tailwind and 290 degrees at 35 KTS at 6000 ft. After all the calculations were complete; we concluded we had 4.2 hours of fuel on board and it would take 3.2 hours to fly from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. We both concluded that we would not have to stop because by the time we were to be back home; we should have had another complete hour remaining. We departed ZZZ1 at XA31 per ZZZ1 TRACON. We had a handheld GPS that confirmed our time; distance and ground speed. We recalculated every 15-20 mins. All our planning was confirming correct. We cruised back at 9500 ft and the GPS confirmed our 45 KT tailwind. We made sure the mixture was properly leaned. 10 NM from ZZZ2 (home base) and below the 2000 ft class B shelf; we called ZZZ2 unicom for an airport advisory after canceling flight following with center. At approximately XD35 and 6 NM from ZZZ2; our engine started to sputter. We were not going to take any chances and landed the aircraft in a field next to a baseball field with no incident; accident or injury. We landed at approximately XD48. We discovered when we were on the ground that the airplane was exhausted of fuel on the right tank and had 2 gallons in the left tank. The engine did not perform according to the poh and to our surprise it was burning 8.4 gph. We had no idea of the extra fuel burn. We received counseling from our boss; who is an aviation safety counselor; the next morning. I also had to make a phone call to FSDO. We should have stopped 1/2 way to refuel and check our fuel burn. If we would have done that; this would not have happened and we would have known the actual fuel burn of the aircraft. Knowing what I know now; I can assure everyone that this will never happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT MISCALCULATED FUEL USAGE AND LANDED OFF ARPT 6 MI SHORT OF HIS DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT OR INJURY.

Narrative: ON APR/TUE/05 AT APPROX XD40; MYSELF (ACTING PIC) AND MR ABC (EQUALLY RATED PLT) HAD AN EMER LNDG IN A FIELD AT NIGHT; 6 NM FROM OUR HOME BASE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. OUR FLT SCHOOL THAT WE BOTH WORK FOR ASKED US TO BRING BACK A C152 THAT JUST HAD A COMPLETE PAINT JOB. WE BOTH PERFORMED 3 THOROUGH PREFLTS PRIOR TO TAXIING THE ACFT. WE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS (23.8 GALLONS) AT XA10. WE DID NOT CALL FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING BECAUSE THE FBO HAS A WX COMPUTER THAT WE USED IN LIEU OF FSS. WE TOOK THE POH FOR THE AIRPLANE; AND AN ELECTRONIC E6-B AND CALCULATED OUR FUEL BURNS FOR THE 360 NM TRIP HOME TO FIND OUT WHERE WE WOULD BE STOPPING FOR FUEL ENRTE. WE BOTH LOOKED AT THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS (TIME; FUEL; AND DISTANCE TO CLB; RANGE PROFILES; CRUISE CHARTS; ETC). THE WINDS ALOFT WERE FORECAST TO BE 280 DEGS AT 45 KTS AT 9000 FT; A DIRECT TAILWIND AND 290 DEGS AT 35 KTS AT 6000 FT. AFTER ALL THE CALCULATIONS WERE COMPLETE; WE CONCLUDED WE HAD 4.2 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND IT WOULD TAKE 3.2 HRS TO FLY FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. WE BOTH CONCLUDED THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO STOP BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE WERE TO BE BACK HOME; WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER COMPLETE HR REMAINING. WE DEPARTED ZZZ1 AT XA31 PER ZZZ1 TRACON. WE HAD A HANDHELD GPS THAT CONFIRMED OUR TIME; DISTANCE AND GND SPD. WE RECALCULATED EVERY 15-20 MINS. ALL OUR PLANNING WAS CONFIRMING CORRECT. WE CRUISED BACK AT 9500 FT AND THE GPS CONFIRMED OUR 45 KT TAILWIND. WE MADE SURE THE MIXTURE WAS PROPERLY LEANED. 10 NM FROM ZZZ2 (HOME BASE) AND BELOW THE 2000 FT CLASS B SHELF; WE CALLED ZZZ2 UNICOM FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY AFTER CANCELING FLT FOLLOWING WITH CTR. AT APPROX XD35 AND 6 NM FROM ZZZ2; OUR ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER. WE WERE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY CHANCES AND LANDED THE ACFT IN A FIELD NEXT TO A BASEBALL FIELD WITH NO INCIDENT; ACCIDENT OR INJURY. WE LANDED AT APPROX XD48. WE DISCOVERED WHEN WE WERE ON THE GND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS EXHAUSTED OF FUEL ON THE R TANK AND HAD 2 GALLONS IN THE L TANK. THE ENG DID NOT PERFORM ACCORDING TO THE POH AND TO OUR SURPRISE IT WAS BURNING 8.4 GPH. WE HAD NO IDEA OF THE EXTRA FUEL BURN. WE RECEIVED COUNSELING FROM OUR BOSS; WHO IS AN AVIATION SAFETY COUNSELOR; THE NEXT MORNING. I ALSO HAD TO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO FSDO. WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED 1/2 WAY TO REFUEL AND CHK OUR FUEL BURN. IF WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT; THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AND WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THE ACTUAL FUEL BURN OF THE ACFT. KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW; I CAN ASSURE EVERYONE THAT THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.