Narrative:

I was returning from a business trip to ZZZ1. I received a WX briefing from FSS. A direct flight to my destination (ZZZ) was not advised due to tornado warnings along the route. After a discussion with the briefer; an alternate route to circumnav the hostile WX was chosen. The IFR route that was filed was a total of 729 NM. The speed that I estimated to fly was 130 KTS. At approximately XA00; I fueled the airplane at the ZZZ1 self-serve pump with 40 gallons of fuel; to top off both fuel tanks. I performed my preflight inspection and sumped the tanks; noticing an unusual amount of sediments floating in the AVGAS sample. I was concerned; but did not think the sediments would adversely affect the safety of my flight. With full fuel on board at takeoff; I estimated 6 hours 33 mins of fuel available to make the flight. The flight proceeded uneventfully with the exception that my GPS was estimating that I was only traveling at a rate of 120 KTS due to strong headwinds. I was also advised on 2 occasions to circumnav areas of heavy thunderstorms. Between the strong headwinds and the need to go around bad WX cells; the distance that I ultimately flew increased and the speed decreased; resulting in a change in the total hours of fuel necessary for the flight. After being cleared for the approach to runway at ZZZ; I began my pre-landing checklist. I throttled back to lose altitude and encountered a complete loss of engine power approximately 18 NM from the airport. I tried unsuccessfully to restart the aircraft; and made sure that I was using the right tank which was visually indicating approximately 1/6 (6 gallons) of available fuel remaining on the panel gas gauge. The engine sputtered but would not restart so I declared an emergency to ZZZ approach and sought a suitable off-airport site to land. I landed at approximately on the grass median between the eastbound and wbound lanes of highway. The landing gear was up (by choice) resulting in the propeller striking the ground. All passenger (2 plus the pilot) departed the airplane without injury. At this point; I am not exactly sure of the proximity cause of the engine failure other than to describe it as engine starvation. There was 6 gallons of fuel remaining in the right tank after the landing took place. This was not a lot; but it was surely enough to complete the flight successfully. Concerning the chain of events; the need to rerte around adverse WX started a new cycle of events that was different from that which was planned. Stronger headwinds and the resulting slower ground speeds also played an important factor. I will be more aware in the future to recalculate fuel requirements and possibly include a refueling stop. Fortunately; there were no injuries to the passenger on board and only minor damage to the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOLLOWING MAX FUEL RANGE CROSS COUNTRY; PA28R LOSES POWER AND LANDS SHORT OF RWY AT DESTINATION.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A BUSINESS TRIP TO ZZZ1. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FROM FSS. A DIRECT FLT TO MY DEST (ZZZ) WAS NOT ADVISED DUE TO TORNADO WARNINGS ALONG THE RTE. AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH THE BRIEFER; AN ALTERNATE RTE TO CIRCUMNAV THE HOSTILE WX WAS CHOSEN. THE IFR RTE THAT WAS FILED WAS A TOTAL OF 729 NM. THE SPD THAT I ESTIMATED TO FLY WAS 130 KTS. AT APPROX XA00; I FUELED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ZZZ1 SELF-SERVE PUMP WITH 40 GALLONS OF FUEL; TO TOP OFF BOTH FUEL TANKS. I PERFORMED MY PREFLT INSPECTION AND SUMPED THE TANKS; NOTICING AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF SEDIMENTS FLOATING IN THE AVGAS SAMPLE. I WAS CONCERNED; BUT DID NOT THINK THE SEDIMENTS WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE SAFETY OF MY FLT. WITH FULL FUEL ON BOARD AT TKOF; I ESTIMATED 6 HRS 33 MINS OF FUEL AVAILABLE TO MAKE THE FLT. THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT MY GPS WAS ESTIMATING THAT I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT A RATE OF 120 KTS DUE TO STRONG HEADWINDS. I WAS ALSO ADVISED ON 2 OCCASIONS TO CIRCUMNAV AREAS OF HVY TSTMS. BTWN THE STRONG HEADWINDS AND THE NEED TO GO AROUND BAD WX CELLS; THE DISTANCE THAT I ULTIMATELY FLEW INCREASED AND THE SPD DECREASED; RESULTING IN A CHANGE IN THE TOTAL HRS OF FUEL NECESSARY FOR THE FLT. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH TO RWY AT ZZZ; I BEGAN MY PRE-LNDG CHKLIST. I THROTTLED BACK TO LOSE ALT AND ENCOUNTERED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENG PWR APPROX 18 NM FROM THE ARPT. I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO RESTART THE ACFT; AND MADE SURE THAT I WAS USING THE R TANK WHICH WAS VISUALLY INDICATING APPROX 1/6 (6 GALLONS) OF AVAILABLE FUEL REMAINING ON THE PANEL GAS GAUGE. THE ENG SPUTTERED BUT WOULD NOT RESTART SO I DECLARED AN EMER TO ZZZ APCH AND SOUGHT A SUITABLE OFF-ARPT SITE TO LAND. I LANDED AT APPROX ON THE GRASS MEDIAN BTWN THE EBOUND AND WBOUND LANES OF HWY. THE LNDG GEAR WAS UP (BY CHOICE) RESULTING IN THE PROP STRIKING THE GND. ALL PAX (2 PLUS THE PLT) DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT INJURY. AT THIS POINT; I AM NOT EXACTLY SURE OF THE PROX CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE OTHER THAN TO DESCRIBE IT AS ENG STARVATION. THERE WAS 6 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE R TANK AFTER THE LNDG TOOK PLACE. THIS WAS NOT A LOT; BUT IT WAS SURELY ENOUGH TO COMPLETE THE FLT SUCCESSFULLY. CONCERNING THE CHAIN OF EVENTS; THE NEED TO RERTE AROUND ADVERSE WX STARTED A NEW CYCLE OF EVENTS THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM THAT WHICH WAS PLANNED. STRONGER HEADWINDS AND THE RESULTING SLOWER GND SPDS ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT FACTOR. I WILL BE MORE AWARE IN THE FUTURE TO RECALCULATE FUEL REQUIREMENTS AND POSSIBLY INCLUDE A REFUELING STOP. FORTUNATELY; THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PAX ON BOARD AND ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

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.