Narrative:

I gave a flying lesson to a private license student. The student performed a preflight as a standard route. As an instructor; I doublechked the airplane and everything looked fine. We started the lesson and progressed with it for about 1 1/2 hours. We thought that we had enough gasoline to continue our class for another 1/2 hour safely when I saw the right fuel gauge drop down and the left one varying from 1/4 - 1/2 tank. We executed another maneuver more and I told the student to tap the fuel gauge indicator to see if it was working properly. The instrument continued indicating the same reading -- no fuel. After that; I decided to head back to the closest airport. When we were getting closer to final approach; the engine stopped working. I executed a forced landing on a sand bar close to the airport. No one got injured; and there wasn't any damage done to the airplane or property. After I performed the forced landing; we checked the fuel tanks. The right tank was empty and on the left one was almost empty. Maybe the student and the instructor both misread the fuel quantity on the tank. The problem here is that the student and the instructor do not rely on the fuel gauges because the fuel gauges of the C152 in that flying school usually do not work properly. For instance; in the ground the gauges read normally; but when you start flying; they start indicating erratic readings. Sometimes the gauges read as if the tanks were full; but in reality there is only half tank of fuel; etc. The possible solution might be more checks to the airplanes at the flying schools from the FAA and grounded airplane that the fuel gauges do not work properly. I am saying that checks should be more frequent; specifically at the flight school and private operators; because other operators like part 121 have more control of the total gasoline on their aircraft. I am sure that this situation wouldn't have happened to me; if I had flown on the C172 sp. The fuel gauges indicators on C172 sp are reliable. If I had seen the needles of the fuel gauges down; I would have headed back to the airport as soon as possible. The practice area in this particular situation is 15 mins from the airport. It was not a good experience and I wouldn't like it to happen to other pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT AND FLT INSTRUCTOR ABOARD C152 SUFFER ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: I GAVE A FLYING LESSON TO A PVT LICENSE STUDENT. THE STUDENT PERFORMED A PREFLT AS A STANDARD RTE. AS AN INSTRUCTOR; I DOUBLECHKED THE AIRPLANE AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. WE STARTED THE LESSON AND PROGRESSED WITH IT FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD ENOUGH GASOLINE TO CONTINUE OUR CLASS FOR ANOTHER 1/2 HR SAFELY WHEN I SAW THE R FUEL GAUGE DROP DOWN AND THE L ONE VARYING FROM 1/4 - 1/2 TANK. WE EXECUTED ANOTHER MANEUVER MORE AND I TOLD THE STUDENT TO TAP THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR TO SEE IF IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THE INSTRUMENT CONTINUED INDICATING THE SAME READING -- NO FUEL. AFTER THAT; I DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO THE CLOSEST ARPT. WHEN WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO FINAL APCH; THE ENG STOPPED WORKING. I EXECUTED A FORCED LNDG ON A SAND BAR CLOSE TO THE ARPT. NO ONE GOT INJURED; AND THERE WASN'T ANY DAMAGE DONE TO THE AIRPLANE OR PROPERTY. AFTER I PERFORMED THE FORCED LNDG; WE CHKED THE FUEL TANKS. THE R TANK WAS EMPTY AND ON THE L ONE WAS ALMOST EMPTY. MAYBE THE STUDENT AND THE INSTRUCTOR BOTH MISREAD THE FUEL QUANTITY ON THE TANK. THE PROB HERE IS THAT THE STUDENT AND THE INSTRUCTOR DO NOT RELY ON THE FUEL GAUGES BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGES OF THE C152 IN THAT FLYING SCHOOL USUALLY DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. FOR INSTANCE; IN THE GND THE GAUGES READ NORMALLY; BUT WHEN YOU START FLYING; THEY START INDICATING ERRATIC READINGS. SOMETIMES THE GAUGES READ AS IF THE TANKS WERE FULL; BUT IN REALITY THERE IS ONLY HALF TANK OF FUEL; ETC. THE POSSIBLE SOLUTION MIGHT BE MORE CHKS TO THE AIRPLANES AT THE FLYING SCHOOLS FROM THE FAA AND GNDED AIRPLANE THAT THE FUEL GAUGES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. I AM SAYING THAT CHKS SHOULD BE MORE FREQUENT; SPECIFICALLY AT THE FLT SCHOOL AND PVT OPERATORS; BECAUSE OTHER OPERATORS LIKE PART 121 HAVE MORE CTL OF THE TOTAL GASOLINE ON THEIR ACFT. I AM SURE THAT THIS SITUATION WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED TO ME; IF I HAD FLOWN ON THE C172 SP. THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATORS ON C172 SP ARE RELIABLE. IF I HAD SEEN THE NEEDLES OF THE FUEL GAUGES DOWN; I WOULD HAVE HEADED BACK TO THE ARPT ASAP. THE PRACTICE AREA IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION IS 15 MINS FROM THE ARPT. IT WAS NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND I WOULDN'T LIKE IT TO HAPPEN TO OTHER PLTS.

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.