Narrative:

While passing ZZZ3; I realized by time and my fuel gauges that I was into my reserve fuel. However; the clear night provided excellent visibility and the lights of ZZZ looked as though I could reach out and touch them; and I convinced myself that I was essentially already in ZZZ and that I would have no problem making it on in. This was a terrible decision; and one that I would not have made in almost any other situation. When ZZZ2 cleared me to descend; I nosed the plane forward and the engine immediately stopped. I was already talking to ZZZ2 approach; so I declared the engine failure on that frequency. The controller immediately informed me that I was 12 mi from ZZZ and asked my altitude and if I thought I could make the field. I believe that I replied that I was not certain that I could and asked if anything was closer. ATC replied that there was nothing closer. I then heard her vectoring other aircraft to follow me. I set up a best glide speed and attempted to start the engine but was not able to do so. When I was 7 mi from the field; ATC asked for altitude and rate of descent. I replied that I was at 3500 ft and descending at 800 FPM and that I did not believe that I would make it to ZZZ. From my current position to ZZZ appeared to be completely covered with residential type lights and no apparent outs. I could see the divided highway coming underneath me and requested a recommendation from ATC to turn either north or south along that highway for the best landing area. I could see many turns; light poles; and what appeared to be lit up bridges. I determined that the quietest and darkest and straightest stretch of road appeared to be almost directly underneath me. I executed a 270 degree left turn and tried to dump my remaining altitude; in an effort to land with traffic in the northbound lanes. I could hear ATC talking to other aircraft about me; but I do not recall any additional traffic; until I heard an aircraft report to ATC that I was safely on the ground. As I approached the final; I was blessed with several fortunate circumstances: 1) I passed over an off duty ATC'er who recognized the situation and made an effort to slow traffic which was mostly successful. 2) the police helicopter arrived and used his spotlight to help slow traffic. 3) an unforeseen overpass came into my landing light; but because I had found an early out; and had dumped altitude; I had enough residual velocity to climb back up over it. If I had tried to stretch this out to the end; I would not have had the ability to adjust to this type of situation. 4) I was only overtaking 1 car from behind and I was able to slow down enough for him to get out from underneath me prior to touchdown. After that point; I touched down on the interstate; and as I concluded the rollout; pulled to the left edge (towards the center) of the interstate; to allow the remaining traffic to clear. Only 2 trucks passed that I am aware of. The remainder of the traffic was stopped by the alert ATC'er and police helicopter crew. They helped me pull the plane into the median so that traffic could pass. An inspection of the plane showed that there was no damage; and revealed that I had indeed ran out of fuel. The FAA was contacted and came to the scene. Eventually; I was able to procure 15 gallons of fuel; and the police stopped traffic and allowed me to take off and land in ZZZ. The following day I was interviewed by; and provided a written statement to the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER CHEROKEE PLT; WHILE ENRTE TO DEST; HAS FUEL STARVATION; LANDS ON A FREEWAY SAFELY.

Narrative: WHILE PASSING ZZZ3; I REALIZED BY TIME AND MY FUEL GAUGES THAT I WAS INTO MY RESERVE FUEL. HOWEVER; THE CLR NIGHT PROVIDED EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AND THE LIGHTS OF ZZZ LOOKED AS THOUGH I COULD REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM; AND I CONVINCED MYSELF THAT I WAS ESSENTIALLY ALREADY IN ZZZ AND THAT I WOULD HAVE NO PROB MAKING IT ON IN. THIS WAS A TERRIBLE DECISION; AND ONE THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IN ALMOST ANY OTHER SITUATION. WHEN ZZZ2 CLRED ME TO DSND; I NOSED THE PLANE FORWARD AND THE ENG IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. I WAS ALREADY TALKING TO ZZZ2 APCH; SO I DECLARED THE ENG FAILURE ON THAT FREQ. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS 12 MI FROM ZZZ AND ASKED MY ALT AND IF I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE THE FIELD. I BELIEVE THAT I REPLIED THAT I WAS NOT CERTAIN THAT I COULD AND ASKED IF ANYTHING WAS CLOSER. ATC REPLIED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING CLOSER. I THEN HEARD HER VECTORING OTHER ACFT TO FOLLOW ME. I SET UP A BEST GLIDE SPD AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENG BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. WHEN I WAS 7 MI FROM THE FIELD; ATC ASKED FOR ALT AND RATE OF DSCNT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS AT 3500 FT AND DSNDING AT 800 FPM AND THAT I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT I WOULD MAKE IT TO ZZZ. FROM MY CURRENT POS TO ZZZ APPEARED TO BE COMPLETELY COVERED WITH RESIDENTIAL TYPE LIGHTS AND NO APPARENT OUTS. I COULD SEE THE DIVIDED HWY COMING UNDERNEATH ME AND REQUESTED A RECOMMENDATION FROM ATC TO TURN EITHER N OR S ALONG THAT HWY FOR THE BEST LNDG AREA. I COULD SEE MANY TURNS; LIGHT POLES; AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE LIT UP BRIDGES. I DETERMINED THAT THE QUIETEST AND DARKEST AND STRAIGHTEST STRETCH OF ROAD APPEARED TO BE ALMOST DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH ME. I EXECUTED A 270 DEG L TURN AND TRIED TO DUMP MY REMAINING ALT; IN AN EFFORT TO LAND WITH TFC IN THE NBOUND LANES. I COULD HEAR ATC TALKING TO OTHER ACFT ABOUT ME; BUT I DO NOT RECALL ANY ADDITIONAL TFC; UNTIL I HEARD AN ACFT RPT TO ATC THAT I WAS SAFELY ON THE GND. AS I APCHED THE FINAL; I WAS BLESSED WITH SEVERAL FORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES: 1) I PASSED OVER AN OFF DUTY ATC'ER WHO RECOGNIZED THE SITUATION AND MADE AN EFFORT TO SLOW TFC WHICH WAS MOSTLY SUCCESSFUL. 2) THE POLICE HELI ARRIVED AND USED HIS SPOTLIGHT TO HELP SLOW TFC. 3) AN UNFORESEEN OVERPASS CAME INTO MY LNDG LIGHT; BUT BECAUSE I HAD FOUND AN EARLY OUT; AND HAD DUMPED ALT; I HAD ENOUGH RESIDUAL VELOCITY TO CLB BACK UP OVER IT. IF I HAD TRIED TO STRETCH THIS OUT TO THE END; I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE ABILITY TO ADJUST TO THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. 4) I WAS ONLY OVERTAKING 1 CAR FROM BEHIND AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH FOR HIM TO GET OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. AFTER THAT POINT; I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE INTERSTATE; AND AS I CONCLUDED THE ROLLOUT; PULLED TO THE L EDGE (TOWARDS THE CTR) OF THE INTERSTATE; TO ALLOW THE REMAINING TFC TO CLR. ONLY 2 TRUCKS PASSED THAT I AM AWARE OF. THE REMAINDER OF THE TFC WAS STOPPED BY THE ALERT ATC'ER AND POLICE HELI CREW. THEY HELPED ME PULL THE PLANE INTO THE MEDIAN SO THAT TFC COULD PASS. AN INSPECTION OF THE PLANE SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE; AND REVEALED THAT I HAD INDEED RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE FAA WAS CONTACTED AND CAME TO THE SCENE. EVENTUALLY; I WAS ABLE TO PROCURE 15 GALLONS OF FUEL; AND THE POLICE STOPPED TFC AND ALLOWED ME TO TAKE OFF AND LAND IN ZZZ. THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS INTERVIEWED BY; AND PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE FAA.

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.