Narrative:

Fueled each tank to 16-17 gals with calibrated dipstick. Flew short cross country for photos; returning with 1 hour 20 mins of elapsed time in flight. More than 5 mins and less than 10 mins remaining to destination (departure airport 685) 200 FPM cruise descent. Engine very suddenly lost all power. Immediately checked fuel selector assuming it was not on 'both' as usual and a tank had run dry. Selector still on 'both' tried right and left but no power recovery. Landed without damage on farm road. Coasted to T intersection to be able to make room if traffic needed. Decided to attempt restart to move to farmhouse drive to clear road. Restarted without hesitation and taxied approximately 1/4 mi to driveway. Ran up and tested power; no hesitation or faltering. Measured fuel with same dipstick -- right zero fuel detected; left 6-7 gals refueled with 100LL to 10 gals each side back taxi approximately 1/2 mi testing at high run-up; no problem detected. Proceeded to take off with intent to abort if indicated. Normal full power without abnormal behavior. Ferried to 685. Had mechanic check wing tanks; fuel part and screens fuel lines; gascolator and carburetor -- nothing unusual found. Fly plane frequently for skydive operation with 15 gal/side down to 5 gal/side -- no unusual experiences. Have never experienced such fuel imbal to totally dry (1.5 gals unusable) before. Would operate same for skydive missions; but for cross country would use regular right and left switch technique to avoid running out and getting air in lines. Presume that I flew aircraft X with slight out-of-trim confign and used all available fuel in right tank and had an air-block which prevented timely recovery. Had cruised at 6500 ft MSL until shortly before event and then began cruise descent to approximately 4500 ft. If I had been at 6500 ft may have recovered power before necessary landing. Erratic and questionable fuel gauges are being replaced even though they have not caused any previous problem in many years due to typical flight mission and everyday use of dipstick for partial fuel load missions. Aircraft's symmetry of fuel use will be observed but previous fuel use not significantly out of balance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated all fuel system components were checked and nothing abnormal was found. The reporter believes the airplane was being flown out of trim with low fuel in both tanks. All the fuel was burned out of the right wing tank and the left tank port was uncovered causing the engine loss of power from fuel starvation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 IN CRUISE AT 4500 FT EXPERIENCED ENG LOSS OF PWR. PERFORMED OFF FIELD EMER LNDG. 6-7 GALS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK ON GND CHK.

Narrative: FUELED EACH TANK TO 16-17 GALS WITH CALIBRATED DIPSTICK. FLEW SHORT XCOUNTRY FOR PHOTOS; RETURNING WITH 1 HR 20 MINS OF ELAPSED TIME IN FLT. MORE THAN 5 MINS AND LESS THAN 10 MINS REMAINING TO DEST (DEP ARPT 685) 200 FPM CRUISE DSCNT. ENG VERY SUDDENLY LOST ALL PWR. IMMEDIATELY CHKED FUEL SELECTOR ASSUMING IT WAS NOT ON 'BOTH' AS USUAL AND A TANK HAD RUN DRY. SELECTOR STILL ON 'BOTH' TRIED R AND L BUT NO PWR RECOVERY. LANDED WITHOUT DAMAGE ON FARM ROAD. COASTED TO T INTXN TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ROOM IF TFC NEEDED. DECIDED TO ATTEMPT RESTART TO MOVE TO FARMHOUSE DRIVE TO CLR ROAD. RESTARTED WITHOUT HESITATION AND TAXIED APPROX 1/4 MI TO DRIVEWAY. RAN UP AND TESTED PWR; NO HESITATION OR FALTERING. MEASURED FUEL WITH SAME DIPSTICK -- R ZERO FUEL DETECTED; L 6-7 GALS REFUELED WITH 100LL TO 10 GALS EACH SIDE BACK TAXI APPROX 1/2 MI TESTING AT HIGH RUN-UP; NO PROB DETECTED. PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF WITH INTENT TO ABORT IF INDICATED. NORMAL FULL PWR WITHOUT ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR. FERRIED TO 685. HAD MECH CHK WING TANKS; FUEL PART AND SCREENS FUEL LINES; GASCOLATOR AND CARB -- NOTHING UNUSUAL FOUND. FLY PLANE FREQUENTLY FOR SKYDIVE OP WITH 15 GAL/SIDE DOWN TO 5 GAL/SIDE -- NO UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES. HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH FUEL IMBAL TO TOTALLY DRY (1.5 GALS UNUSABLE) BEFORE. WOULD OPERATE SAME FOR SKYDIVE MISSIONS; BUT FOR XCOUNTRY WOULD USE REGULAR R AND L SWITCH TECHNIQUE TO AVOID RUNNING OUT AND GETTING AIR IN LINES. PRESUME THAT I FLEW ACFT X WITH SLIGHT OUT-OF-TRIM CONFIGN AND USED ALL AVAILABLE FUEL IN R TANK AND HAD AN AIR-BLOCK WHICH PREVENTED TIMELY RECOVERY. HAD CRUISED AT 6500 FT MSL UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE EVENT AND THEN BEGAN CRUISE DSCNT TO APPROX 4500 FT. IF I HAD BEEN AT 6500 FT MAY HAVE RECOVERED PWR BEFORE NECESSARY LNDG. ERRATIC AND QUESTIONABLE FUEL GAUGES ARE BEING REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NOT CAUSED ANY PREVIOUS PROB IN MANY YEARS DUE TO TYPICAL FLT MISSION AND EVERYDAY USE OF DIPSTICK FOR PARTIAL FUEL LOAD MISSIONS. ACFT'S SYMMETRY OF FUEL USE WILL BE OBSERVED BUT PREVIOUS FUEL USE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY OUT OF BAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ALL FUEL SYS COMPONENTS WERE CHKED AND NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS FOUND. THE RPTR BELIEVES THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING FLOWN OUT OF TRIM WITH LOW FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. ALL THE FUEL WAS BURNED OUT OF THE R WING TANK AND THE L TANK PORT WAS UNCOVERED CAUSING THE ENG LOSS OF PWR FROM FUEL STARVATION.

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.