PA28 pilot has a fuel starvation en route to destination.

Attributes
ACN	720373
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbp.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbp.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	720373
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On VFR descent on cross country flight I began to monitor a busy tower frequency while 30 NM out. Unaware pilots making useless initial call-ups (and difficulty speaking english) made the busy frequency almost saturated. I was concerned I would not be able to report in. The amusement I got from several pilots repeatedly botching their communications plus the surprise I had from not being cleared into sbp class D worked to distract me from completing the pre-landing checklist. I entered a self-described 'VFR hold' maintaining 5000 ft MSL. I allowed the distraction from my 'flow' to continue; my cockpit chores prior to final descent went unfinished while I sat there fat; dumb; and happy waiting for clearance to resume the approach. I maintained 5000 ft MSL to clear the last mountain ridge and just as I was over the last ridge after being cleared by tower; the engine began to cough. Noticing an RPM drop I immediately ran through the emergency engine out checklist. Only after completing this did I notice the fuel gauge read empty. The flight was completely uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAS A FUEL STARVATION ENRTE TO DEST.

Narrative: ON VFR DSCNT ON XCOUNTRY FLT I BEGAN TO MONITOR A BUSY TWR FREQ WHILE 30 NM OUT. UNAWARE PLTS MAKING USELESS INITIAL CALL-UPS (AND DIFFICULTY SPEAKING ENGLISH) MADE THE BUSY FREQ ALMOST SATURATED. I WAS CONCERNED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RPT IN. THE AMUSEMENT I GOT FROM SEVERAL PLTS REPEATEDLY BOTCHING THEIR COMS PLUS THE SURPRISE I HAD FROM NOT BEING CLRED INTO SBP CLASS D WORKED TO DISTRACT ME FROM COMPLETING THE PRE-LNDG CHKLIST. I ENTERED A SELF-DESCRIBED 'VFR HOLD' MAINTAINING 5000 FT MSL. I ALLOWED THE DISTR FROM MY 'FLOW' TO CONTINUE; MY COCKPIT CHORES PRIOR TO FINAL DSCNT WENT UNFINISHED WHILE I SAT THERE FAT; DUMB; AND HAPPY WAITING FOR CLRNC TO RESUME THE APCH. I MAINTAINED 5000 FT MSL TO CLR THE LAST MOUNTAIN RIDGE AND JUST AS I WAS OVER THE LAST RIDGE AFTER BEING CLRED BY TWR; THE ENG BEGAN TO COUGH. NOTICING AN RPM DROP I IMMEDIATELY RAN THROUGH THE EMER ENG OUT CHKLIST. ONLY AFTER COMPLETING THIS DID I NOTICE THE FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY. THE FLT WAS COMPLETELY UNEVENTFULLY.

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.