Narrative:

The afternoon prior to the flight I went to the hangar and got the airplane and took it to the fuel pump to fill it to maximum capacity. I always do my own fueling. I returned the aircraft to the hangar and loaded the aircraft; checked oil level; tire pressure and condition of aircraft. I did not check fuel caps since I had done the fueling. The next morning 2 friends joined me for the flight and we took off at XA17. I had checked the WX on the internet the morning of the flight and it indicated VMC all the way with the best winds at 3500 ft. The takeoff was normal and the initial portion of the flight was normal except the left fuel tank gauge was indicating a little lower than normal for the initial portion of the flight. Cessna fuel gauges for my vintage have a reputation of being a little erratic; so I did not think too much of this. I had added a fuel totalizer because of this gauge inaccuracy and over the yrs of use it has shown to be accurate to +/-1.0 gal. At 2:22 into the flight at 3500 ft the engine quit. At the time of engine stoppage; totalizer showed 25 gals; remaining. I checked fuel selector to be on both tanks; pushed mixture in; pulled out carburetor heat knob. No effect. We were on ZZZ center frequency; monitoring; made a mayday call and set 7700 on transponder. I did not think engine would run so I set up best speed for glide and searched for a landing site. Best field looked to be at 12 O'clock position; landing north with a slight tailwind. Made a 3 point landing in a hard packed cucumber field; plants only a few inches high. A smooth landing with not a scratch on aircraft or our person. Made radio transmission that we were on the ground and ok. Inspecting the aircraft I noted left fuel cap was off. Fuel had been siphoned out of tank. On telling a fuel tank manufacturer he told me that as fuel is siphoned out the fuel bladder will collapse and will show fuel in tank even when empty -- which was the case. When fueling aircraft the day prior to flight I was in conversation with a pilot at a pump next to me and I may have been distraction then since I was on a step ladder; hose in hand. Best preflight practice is to do it just prior to flight -- I did not do it then -- but night before because of early takeoff. More methodical attention to detail in the future. Ps -- local pilots found some fuel and a cap and I flew aircraft solo to airport 12 mi away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C180 PILOT REPORTS ENGINE FAILURE AT 3500 FEET. ACFT IS LANDED SUCCESSFULLY IN A FIELD WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Narrative: THE AFTERNOON PRIOR TO THE FLT I WENT TO THE HANGAR AND GOT THE AIRPLANE AND TOOK IT TO THE FUEL PUMP TO FILL IT TO MAX CAPACITY. I ALWAYS DO MY OWN FUELING. I RETURNED THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR AND LOADED THE ACFT; CHKED OIL LEVEL; TIRE PRESSURE AND CONDITION OF ACFT. I DID NOT CHK FUEL CAPS SINCE I HAD DONE THE FUELING. THE NEXT MORNING 2 FRIENDS JOINED ME FOR THE FLT AND WE TOOK OFF AT XA17. I HAD CHKED THE WX ON THE INTERNET THE MORNING OF THE FLT AND IT INDICATED VMC ALL THE WAY WITH THE BEST WINDS AT 3500 FT. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL AND THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL EXCEPT THE L FUEL TANK GAUGE WAS INDICATING A LITTLE LOWER THAN NORMAL FOR THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE FLT. CESSNA FUEL GAUGES FOR MY VINTAGE HAVE A REPUTATION OF BEING A LITTLE ERRATIC; SO I DID NOT THINK TOO MUCH OF THIS. I HAD ADDED A FUEL TOTALIZER BECAUSE OF THIS GAUGE INACCURACY AND OVER THE YRS OF USE IT HAS SHOWN TO BE ACCURATE TO +/-1.0 GAL. AT 2:22 INTO THE FLT AT 3500 FT THE ENG QUIT. AT THE TIME OF ENG STOPPAGE; TOTALIZER SHOWED 25 GALS; REMAINING. I CHKED FUEL SELECTOR TO BE ON BOTH TANKS; PUSHED MIXTURE IN; PULLED OUT CARB HEAT KNOB. NO EFFECT. WE WERE ON ZZZ CTR FREQ; MONITORING; MADE A MAYDAY CALL AND SET 7700 ON XPONDER. I DID NOT THINK ENG WOULD RUN SO I SET UP BEST SPD FOR GLIDE AND SEARCHED FOR A LNDG SITE. BEST FIELD LOOKED TO BE AT 12 O'CLOCK POS; LNDG N WITH A SLIGHT TAILWIND. MADE A 3 POINT LNDG IN A HARD PACKED CUCUMBER FIELD; PLANTS ONLY A FEW INCHES HIGH. A SMOOTH LNDG WITH NOT A SCRATCH ON ACFT OR OUR PERSON. MADE RADIO XMISSION THAT WE WERE ON THE GND AND OK. INSPECTING THE ACFT I NOTED L FUEL CAP WAS OFF. FUEL HAD BEEN SIPHONED OUT OF TANK. ON TELLING A FUEL TANK MANUFACTURER HE TOLD ME THAT AS FUEL IS SIPHONED OUT THE FUEL BLADDER WILL COLLAPSE AND WILL SHOW FUEL IN TANK EVEN WHEN EMPTY -- WHICH WAS THE CASE. WHEN FUELING ACFT THE DAY PRIOR TO FLT I WAS IN CONVERSATION WITH A PLT AT A PUMP NEXT TO ME AND I MAY HAVE BEEN DISTR THEN SINCE I WAS ON A STEP LADDER; HOSE IN HAND. BEST PREFLT PRACTICE IS TO DO IT JUST PRIOR TO FLT -- I DID NOT DO IT THEN -- BUT NIGHT BEFORE BECAUSE OF EARLY TKOF. MORE METHODICAL ATTN TO DETAIL IN THE FUTURE. PS -- LCL PLTS FOUND SOME FUEL AND A CAP AND I FLEW ACFT SOLO TO ARPT 12 MI AWAY.

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.