Narrative:

I preflted my C152 just as the preflight checklist states. After topping off both left and right tanks; I took a fuel sample from the right tank. In that fuel sample; I found that there was a slight trace of water. After disposing of that fuel sample; I took 2 additional fuel samples from the right tank; finding that the fuel was clear and bright; and free of water. The preflight on the rest of the aircraft was satisfactory. I filed a VFR flight plan and I departed with myself and a passenger. I departed with 4 hours and 20 mins; or 26 gals (24.5 gals useable) of fuel on board. I calculated that the flight would take 2 hours and 50 mins of flight time; or 18 gals of fuel being used during the flight. This would be enough fuel to complete the flight; and still have the required 45 min reserve remaining. At approximately 2 hours 50 mins into the flight; I was about 11 mi southeast of ZZZ descending; and adjusting my mixture for the descent. When I was passing through 4800 ft MSL my engine lost power; and the engine was sputtering on and off. I completed my emergency checklist; which included checking the magnetos; the fuel selector valve to be on; carburetor heat on; mixture rich; and throttle. Then I looked for a place to put the airplane down on. I had ZZZ tower on the radio; so I called the tower up and declared an emergency. Tower cleared me to land on runway 24; but I realized that I wasn't going to make it to the airport. I found a road that I felt was a good place to put the airplane down. With the landing spot in sight; I set myself up on a left downwind. After turning onto the final leg for the road; I saw that there was a palm tree in the median; but the road was clear beyond that point; so I extended my landing point by a couple hundred feet in order to miss the palm tree. The aircraft touched down at normal touchdown speed; and I started to flash my landing/taxi lights at a car ahead of me in hope that it would clear the road ahead. After coming to a stop; I got out and moved the plane off the road; and parked it in a parking lot so that traffic wasn't blocked up. The airplane was perfectly fine; and neither I nor my passenger was injured. At this point I contacted the police. In order to get the aircraft off of road; the wings were needed to be removed. When the a&P removed the wings; he found that there was 6 gals of fuel remaining. After taking out the unuseable amount; we had 4.5 gals of fuel left. I feel that there was a fuel starvation problem; even though I should have had an hour worth of fuel left.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 EXPERIENCES LOSS OF POWER AND LANDS ON ROAD SHORT OF DESTINATION.

Narrative: I PREFLTED MY C152 JUST AS THE PREFLT CHKLIST STATES. AFTER TOPPING OFF BOTH L AND R TANKS; I TOOK A FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE R TANK. IN THAT FUEL SAMPLE; I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT TRACE OF WATER. AFTER DISPOSING OF THAT FUEL SAMPLE; I TOOK 2 ADDITIONAL FUEL SAMPLES FROM THE R TANK; FINDING THAT THE FUEL WAS CLR AND BRIGHT; AND FREE OF WATER. THE PREFLT ON THE REST OF THE ACFT WAS SATISFACTORY. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN AND I DEPARTED WITH MYSELF AND A PAX. I DEPARTED WITH 4 HRS AND 20 MINS; OR 26 GALS (24.5 GALS USEABLE) OF FUEL ON BOARD. I CALCULATED THAT THE FLT WOULD TAKE 2 HRS AND 50 MINS OF FLT TIME; OR 18 GALS OF FUEL BEING USED DURING THE FLT. THIS WOULD BE ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT; AND STILL HAVE THE REQUIRED 45 MIN RESERVE REMAINING. AT APPROX 2 HRS 50 MINS INTO THE FLT; I WAS ABOUT 11 MI SE OF ZZZ DSNDING; AND ADJUSTING MY MIXTURE FOR THE DSCNT. WHEN I WAS PASSING THROUGH 4800 FT MSL MY ENG LOST PWR; AND THE ENG WAS SPUTTERING ON AND OFF. I COMPLETED MY EMER CHKLIST; WHICH INCLUDED CHKING THE MAGNETOS; THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO BE ON; CARB HEAT ON; MIXTURE RICH; AND THROTTLE. THEN I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO PUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN ON. I HAD ZZZ TWR ON THE RADIO; SO I CALLED THE TWR UP AND DECLARED AN EMER. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 24; BUT I REALIZED THAT I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE ARPT. I FOUND A ROAD THAT I FELT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO PUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN. WITH THE LNDG SPOT IN SIGHT; I SET MYSELF UP ON A L DOWNWIND. AFTER TURNING ONTO THE FINAL LEG FOR THE ROAD; I SAW THAT THERE WAS A PALM TREE IN THE MEDIAN; BUT THE ROAD WAS CLR BEYOND THAT POINT; SO I EXTENDED MY LNDG POINT BY A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET IN ORDER TO MISS THE PALM TREE. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AT NORMAL TOUCHDOWN SPD; AND I STARTED TO FLASH MY LNDG/TAXI LIGHTS AT A CAR AHEAD OF ME IN HOPE THAT IT WOULD CLR THE ROAD AHEAD. AFTER COMING TO A STOP; I GOT OUT AND MOVED THE PLANE OFF THE ROAD; AND PARKED IT IN A PARKING LOT SO THAT TFC WASN'T BLOCKED UP. THE AIRPLANE WAS PERFECTLY FINE; AND NEITHER I NOR MY PAX WAS INJURED. AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED THE POLICE. IN ORDER TO GET THE ACFT OFF OF ROAD; THE WINGS WERE NEEDED TO BE REMOVED. WHEN THE A&P REMOVED THE WINGS; HE FOUND THAT THERE WAS 6 GALS OF FUEL REMAINING. AFTER TAKING OUT THE UNUSEABLE AMOUNT; WE HAD 4.5 GALS OF FUEL LEFT. I FEEL THAT THERE WAS A FUEL STARVATION PROB; EVEN THOUGH I SHOULD HAVE HAD AN HR WORTH OF FUEL LEFT.

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.