Narrative:

I was starting a descent into ZZZ when I experienced a rough running engine. I repositioned the throttle several times and shortly the engine quit running completely. I pulled the stick back; and put the aircraft into the best glide speed; and pointed the nose directly at the airport. My altitude was approximately 2800 ft. As I glided towards the airport I made several calls in the blind on the unicom frequency of the radio; but I did not receive an answer. As I approached the airport; I began to set up for a straight in to runway 35. At about a mi or less; it was apparent that the steep terrain on my approach to the runway; and the very busy vehicle traffic on the only street below; made me decide to turn left and seek an alternative landing spot. I located a wide street in the residential neighborhood with no cars or overhead lines on the streets; and lined up for an off airport landing. I was able to land the aircraft on the street; and was rolling to a stop when the left wing hit a group of trash cans and caused me to lose control. My left wing clipped a tree and I came to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk and parking area of the street. After the removal and return to the airport of the aircraft; I noted a discoloration streak down the belly of the aircraft. It appears the low point drain/fuel sump was leaking during the flight. This was the cause of the engine failure; a lack of fuel. My flight time was under 2 hours. I departed with full fuel or 12 gals. Fuel burn is less than 5 gph and my flight plan called for a 3 gal reserve at landing. Air conditions were clear; 50 mi visibility; wind calm; and a 2 KT tailwind. Due to the primitive fuel gauge on the aircraft it would be extremely difficult to determine the fuel tank was empty. The fuel gauge is a cork on a rod that floats in the fuel to estimate the level. This type of aircraft is normally flow by time and distance calculations for estimating fuel use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A J-3 CUB PILOT MADE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING WHEN HIS ENGINE FAILED BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION APPARENTLY CAUSED BY A LEAKING FUEL SAMPLE DRAIN VALVE.

Narrative: I WAS STARTING A DSCNT INTO ZZZ WHEN I EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. I REPOSITIONED THE THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES AND SHORTLY THE ENG QUIT RUNNING COMPLETELY. I PULLED THE STICK BACK; AND PUT THE ACFT INTO THE BEST GLIDE SPD; AND POINTED THE NOSE DIRECTLY AT THE ARPT. MY ALT WAS APPROX 2800 FT. AS I GLIDED TOWARDS THE ARPT I MADE SEVERAL CALLS IN THE BLIND ON THE UNICOM FREQ OF THE RADIO; BUT I DID NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER. AS I APCHED THE ARPT; I BEGAN TO SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 35. AT ABOUT A MI OR LESS; IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE STEEP TERRAIN ON MY APCH TO THE RWY; AND THE VERY BUSY VEHICLE TFC ON THE ONLY STREET BELOW; MADE ME DECIDE TO TURN L AND SEEK AN ALTERNATIVE LNDG SPOT. I LOCATED A WIDE STREET IN THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WITH NO CARS OR OVERHEAD LINES ON THE STREETS; AND LINED UP FOR AN OFF ARPT LNDG. I WAS ABLE TO LAND THE ACFT ON THE STREET; AND WAS ROLLING TO A STOP WHEN THE L WING HIT A GROUP OF TRASH CANS AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE CTL. MY L WING CLIPPED A TREE AND I CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP ON THE SIDEWALK AND PARKING AREA OF THE STREET. AFTER THE REMOVAL AND RETURN TO THE ARPT OF THE ACFT; I NOTED A DISCOLORATION STREAK DOWN THE BELLY OF THE ACFT. IT APPEARS THE LOW POINT DRAIN/FUEL SUMP WAS LEAKING DURING THE FLT. THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE; A LACK OF FUEL. MY FLT TIME WAS UNDER 2 HRS. I DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL OR 12 GALS. FUEL BURN IS LESS THAN 5 GPH AND MY FLT PLAN CALLED FOR A 3 GAL RESERVE AT LNDG. AIR CONDITIONS WERE CLR; 50 MI VISIBILITY; WIND CALM; AND A 2 KT TAILWIND. DUE TO THE PRIMITIVE FUEL GAUGE ON THE ACFT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE FUEL GAUGE IS A CORK ON A ROD THAT FLOATS IN THE FUEL TO ESTIMATE THE LEVEL. THIS TYPE OF ACFT IS NORMALLY FLOW BY TIME AND DISTANCE CALCULATIONS FOR ESTIMATING FUEL USE.

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.