Narrative:

The off-airport landing followed 3 flight segments. The previous day I flew a 150 hp C150 from ZZZ1; a private grass strip 15 mi north of ZZZ2 to ZZZ3; after filling both wing tanks (24 gallons usable) and the auxiliary tank (14 gallons usable). That flight lasted 1.7 hours. The next day a VFR flight from ZZZ3 to ZZZ 5 mi north of ZZZ2 lasted 1.4 hours. I was trying to see if the round trip could be made without needing the auxiliary tank; but before landing I saw I wouldn't make it; so I started the auxiliary pump; which started to raise the fuel indicator on the right tank. I landed at ZZZ; shut down the engine; and picked up a passenger for a local sightseeing tour. I forgot to re-engage the xfer pump and never looked at the fuel gauges. This flight lasted 0.7 hours. After landing and discharging the passenger; I decided to take off downwind to shorten the short hop north to my final destination. Again; I forgot the fuel xfer pump was not engaged; and I did not observe the fuel gauges. (I think the wind was reported as 220 degrees at 7 KTS.) taking off to the north was a life-saving decision; as the departure from runway xx went over a 4 lane street; high school parking lot and stadium; and other developed land. Instead; runway yy leads over an open field. Within 3-5 seconds of rotation; the engine stopped without any sputtering. I instantly realized that I had run it out of gas; so did not try to restart. I was at no more than 50 ft AGL. The field (untilled soybean stubble) extended about 700 ft; followed by a drainage way crossing perpendicular to direction of flight; and then a grass field border which was about 1300 ft long. I cleared the drainage way; and did a normal landing on the grass; which sloped up approximately 3 degrees. I was able to stop normally without hard braking well short of a fence and yard. I got out and talked briefly to a concrete-laying crew about the incident. They didn't seem overly concerned; and returned to working. I started the fuel xfer pump; and after several mins observed the fuel needle starting to register; and successfully restarted the engine. I taxied south towards the airport; but saw I could not cross the drainage way because of steepness and wet conditions. There was a short field of wheat just greening up to the east of the grass field border. After shutting down the engine (and leaving the xfer pump running!); I walked the ground to assure it was solid enough to attempt a takeoff. The C150 has larger than normal tires and the larger engine; which helped in soft-field operations. Upon restarting the engine; and restarting the xfer pump; I taxied to the east end of the field (about 1600-1700 ft from the field border); and using soft field techniques; took off and flew to the final destination. (There was a 2500-ft long open tilled field west of the grass field border if additional distance was needed; but the crossing of the grass field border would have been rough at speed). This incident could have caused serious damage; injury; or death; but because of taking off over open fields; I had some place safer to put down. The cause was my trying to stretch the wing tank endurance; multiple distrs of having a passenger and doing sightseeing (which had my attention outside the cockpit and off the instruments way too much); and failing to observe the fuel gauges at all during the whole local flight. I'm extremely lucky to have walked away from this flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT HAS FUEL STARVATION AND ACCOMPLISHES AN OFF FIELD LNDG.

Narrative: THE OFF-ARPT LNDG FOLLOWED 3 FLT SEGMENTS. THE PREVIOUS DAY I FLEW A 150 HP C150 FROM ZZZ1; A PVT GRASS STRIP 15 MI N OF ZZZ2 TO ZZZ3; AFTER FILLING BOTH WING TANKS (24 GALLONS USABLE) AND THE AUX TANK (14 GALLONS USABLE). THAT FLT LASTED 1.7 HRS. THE NEXT DAY A VFR FLT FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ 5 MI N OF ZZZ2 LASTED 1.4 HRS. I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF THE ROUND TRIP COULD BE MADE WITHOUT NEEDING THE AUX TANK; BUT BEFORE LNDG I SAW I WOULDN'T MAKE IT; SO I STARTED THE AUX PUMP; WHICH STARTED TO RAISE THE FUEL INDICATOR ON THE R TANK. I LANDED AT ZZZ; SHUT DOWN THE ENG; AND PICKED UP A PAX FOR A LCL SIGHTSEEING TOUR. I FORGOT TO RE-ENGAGE THE XFER PUMP AND NEVER LOOKED AT THE FUEL GAUGES. THIS FLT LASTED 0.7 HRS. AFTER LNDG AND DISCHARGING THE PAX; I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF DOWNWIND TO SHORTEN THE SHORT HOP N TO MY FINAL DEST. AGAIN; I FORGOT THE FUEL XFER PUMP WAS NOT ENGAGED; AND I DID NOT OBSERVE THE FUEL GAUGES. (I THINK THE WIND WAS RPTED AS 220 DEGS AT 7 KTS.) TAKING OFF TO THE N WAS A LIFE-SAVING DECISION; AS THE DEP FROM RWY XX WENT OVER A 4 LANE STREET; HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT AND STADIUM; AND OTHER DEVELOPED LAND. INSTEAD; RWY YY LEADS OVER AN OPEN FIELD. WITHIN 3-5 SECONDS OF ROTATION; THE ENG STOPPED WITHOUT ANY SPUTTERING. I INSTANTLY REALIZED THAT I HAD RUN IT OUT OF GAS; SO DID NOT TRY TO RESTART. I WAS AT NO MORE THAN 50 FT AGL. THE FIELD (UNTILLED SOYBEAN STUBBLE) EXTENDED ABOUT 700 FT; FOLLOWED BY A DRAINAGE WAY XING PERPENDICULAR TO DIRECTION OF FLT; AND THEN A GRASS FIELD BORDER WHICH WAS ABOUT 1300 FT LONG. I CLRED THE DRAINAGE WAY; AND DID A NORMAL LNDG ON THE GRASS; WHICH SLOPED UP APPROX 3 DEGS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP NORMALLY WITHOUT HARD BRAKING WELL SHORT OF A FENCE AND YARD. I GOT OUT AND TALKED BRIEFLY TO A CONCRETE-LAYING CREW ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THEY DIDN'T SEEM OVERLY CONCERNED; AND RETURNED TO WORKING. I STARTED THE FUEL XFER PUMP; AND AFTER SEVERAL MINS OBSERVED THE FUEL NEEDLE STARTING TO REGISTER; AND SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED THE ENG. I TAXIED S TOWARDS THE ARPT; BUT SAW I COULD NOT CROSS THE DRAINAGE WAY BECAUSE OF STEEPNESS AND WET CONDITIONS. THERE WAS A SHORT FIELD OF WHEAT JUST GREENING UP TO THE E OF THE GRASS FIELD BORDER. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG (AND LEAVING THE XFER PUMP RUNNING!); I WALKED THE GND TO ASSURE IT WAS SOLID ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT A TKOF. THE C150 HAS LARGER THAN NORMAL TIRES AND THE LARGER ENG; WHICH HELPED IN SOFT-FIELD OPS. UPON RESTARTING THE ENG; AND RESTARTING THE XFER PUMP; I TAXIED TO THE E END OF THE FIELD (ABOUT 1600-1700 FT FROM THE FIELD BORDER); AND USING SOFT FIELD TECHNIQUES; TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO THE FINAL DEST. (THERE WAS A 2500-FT LONG OPEN TILLED FIELD W OF THE GRASS FIELD BORDER IF ADDITIONAL DISTANCE WAS NEEDED; BUT THE XING OF THE GRASS FIELD BORDER WOULD HAVE BEEN ROUGH AT SPD). THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE; INJURY; OR DEATH; BUT BECAUSE OF TAKING OFF OVER OPEN FIELDS; I HAD SOME PLACE SAFER TO PUT DOWN. THE CAUSE WAS MY TRYING TO STRETCH THE WING TANK ENDURANCE; MULTIPLE DISTRS OF HAVING A PAX AND DOING SIGHTSEEING (WHICH HAD MY ATTN OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND OFF THE INSTS WAY TOO MUCH); AND FAILING TO OBSERVE THE FUEL GAUGES AT ALL DURING THE WHOLE LCL FLT. I'M EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM THIS FLT.

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.