Narrative:

This was the 4TH time I have flown to the same airport ZZZ3. The previous trips I have always stopped at ZZZ2 for fuel and food at their restaurant and they have a cc to get to it. FBO at ZZZ2 (staff) is extremely friendly. C170A has 42 gal capacity 38 gal usable. I told the lineman it would take close to 13 gals a side. He topped it off; 24.9 gals; I always err on the safe side. This leg had been 279 mi and it took me 3.4 hours en route. The 2ND leg from ZZZ2 to ZZZ3 was 25 mi shorter; so I thought with full fuel it would be a piece of cake; as it had always been on previous trips. En route we were diverted around heavy precipitation. Upon arriving (20 mi out) at ZZZ3 approach asked which of the 2 approachs I wanted; VOR or GPS. Aircraft is only certified for the VOR and that was the approach I asked for. Was told the VOR was OTS. FSS never gave me the NOTAM and I didn't ask for NOTAMS for this flight (mistake #1). Upon arriving 5 mi from ZZZ3 I asked for and approach gave the ceiling at ZZZ3. I had tried to pick up the ATIS there; but couldn't receive it on #2 communication. Had the VOR been in service it (ATIS) would have told me the ceiling was below minimums. I then asked approach for vectors to the nearest ILS. I was given vectors for the ILS runway 11 into ZZZ. Approach got me within 6 mi south of ZZZ1 and then put me on an extended downwind for the ILS. (Break; I knew they had been holding airliners because of WX.) I knew I was getting low on fuel but didn't tell approach (mistake #2). We departed ZZZ2 at XA10Z. It was hard IMC from XA00Z until present time XB30Z. While en route at 7000 ft I had moderate turbulence and asked for higher because I had a passenger on board and wanted smoother air. It was smoother at 9 for awhile. Back to present; I knew the ZZZ ceiling was above minimums. XC40Z approach finally put me on base leg for the ILS. My needle (vertical) was awaking up when the engine quit. Altitude 3000 ft MSL in a smooth cloud layer. Aircraft best glide speed 70 mph. I immediately went to 70 mph and declared an emergency. Approach said airport at my 11; 2 1/2 mi. I headed that way but when I broke out 300 ft AGL I could only see trees. There was an opening up ahead but I couldn't confirm that it was the airport. (The trees were tall; 80 ft to 100 ft high.) the highway came into sight; I was told by approach; airport at my 11; 1 1/2 mi. I informed them we couldn't make; I was going to put it in on highway. Cleared the trees 90 degree turn northbound 70 mph. My biggest concern was a semi and the cars behind me piling up. Bleeding off airspeed to land in center lane I came close to car ahead of me 30 ft? And then he started pulling away from us. Did a nice 3 point landing on center lane and rolled to the shoulder. Left wing blocking highway right lane. 1 ft off of shoulder (right main) steep bank running down to big trees 60 or 70 yds. Lady from car behind me while landing; helped us push plane over while I steered tailwheel. So aircraft didn't roll down embankment and get totaled. Got left wing out of right lane and no cars piled up. Plane ok; people ok and 1ST time passenger ok.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C170 PILOT REPORTS FUEL STARVATION AND SUCCESSFUL HIGHWAY LANDING AFTER WEATHER DIVERSION TO ILS EQUIPPED ARPT.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE 4TH TIME I HAVE FLOWN TO THE SAME ARPT ZZZ3. THE PREVIOUS TRIPS I HAVE ALWAYS STOPPED AT ZZZ2 FOR FUEL AND FOOD AT THEIR RESTAURANT AND THEY HAVE A CC TO GET TO IT. FBO AT ZZZ2 (STAFF) IS EXTREMELY FRIENDLY. C170A HAS 42 GAL CAPACITY 38 GAL USABLE. I TOLD THE LINEMAN IT WOULD TAKE CLOSE TO 13 GALS A SIDE. HE TOPPED IT OFF; 24.9 GALS; I ALWAYS ERR ON THE SAFE SIDE. THIS LEG HAD BEEN 279 MI AND IT TOOK ME 3.4 HRS ENRTE. THE 2ND LEG FROM ZZZ2 TO ZZZ3 WAS 25 MI SHORTER; SO I THOUGHT WITH FULL FUEL IT WOULD BE A PIECE OF CAKE; AS IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN ON PREVIOUS TRIPS. ENRTE WE WERE DIVERTED AROUND HVY PRECIP. UPON ARRIVING (20 MI OUT) AT ZZZ3 APCH ASKED WHICH OF THE 2 APCHS I WANTED; VOR OR GPS. ACFT IS ONLY CERTIFIED FOR THE VOR AND THAT WAS THE APCH I ASKED FOR. WAS TOLD THE VOR WAS OTS. FSS NEVER GAVE ME THE NOTAM AND I DIDN'T ASK FOR NOTAMS FOR THIS FLT (MISTAKE #1). UPON ARRIVING 5 MI FROM ZZZ3 I ASKED FOR AND APCH GAVE THE CEILING AT ZZZ3. I HAD TRIED TO PICK UP THE ATIS THERE; BUT COULDN'T RECEIVE IT ON #2 COM. HAD THE VOR BEEN IN SVC IT (ATIS) WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THE CEILING WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I THEN ASKED APCH FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ILS. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 11 INTO ZZZ. APCH GOT ME WITHIN 6 MI S OF ZZZ1 AND THEN PUT ME ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND FOR THE ILS. (BREAK; I KNEW THEY HAD BEEN HOLDING AIRLINERS BECAUSE OF WX.) I KNEW I WAS GETTING LOW ON FUEL BUT DIDN'T TELL APCH (MISTAKE #2). WE DEPARTED ZZZ2 AT XA10Z. IT WAS HARD IMC FROM XA00Z UNTIL PRESENT TIME XB30Z. WHILE ENRTE AT 7000 FT I HAD MODERATE TURB AND ASKED FOR HIGHER BECAUSE I HAD A PAX ON BOARD AND WANTED SMOOTHER AIR. IT WAS SMOOTHER AT 9 FOR AWHILE. BACK TO PRESENT; I KNEW THE ZZZ CEILING WAS ABOVE MINIMUMS. XC40Z APCH FINALLY PUT ME ON BASE LEG FOR THE ILS. MY NEEDLE (VERT) WAS AWAKING UP WHEN THE ENG QUIT. ALT 3000 FT MSL IN A SMOOTH CLOUD LAYER. ACFT BEST GLIDE SPD 70 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO 70 MPH AND DECLARED AN EMER. APCH SAID ARPT AT MY 11; 2 1/2 MI. I HEADED THAT WAY BUT WHEN I BROKE OUT 300 FT AGL I COULD ONLY SEE TREES. THERE WAS AN OPENING UP AHEAD BUT I COULDN'T CONFIRM THAT IT WAS THE ARPT. (THE TREES WERE TALL; 80 FT TO 100 FT HIGH.) THE HIGHWAY CAME INTO SIGHT; I WAS TOLD BY APCH; ARPT AT MY 11; 1 1/2 MI. I INFORMED THEM WE COULDN'T MAKE; I WAS GOING TO PUT IT IN ON HIGHWAY. CLRED THE TREES 90 DEG TURN NBOUND 70 MPH. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS A SEMI AND THE CARS BEHIND ME PILING UP. BLEEDING OFF AIRSPD TO LAND IN CTR LANE I CAME CLOSE TO CAR AHEAD OF ME 30 FT? AND THEN HE STARTED PULLING AWAY FROM US. DID A NICE 3 POINT LNDG ON CTR LANE AND ROLLED TO THE SHOULDER. L WING BLOCKING HIGHWAY R LANE. 1 FT OFF OF SHOULDER (R MAIN) STEEP BANK RUNNING DOWN TO BIG TREES 60 OR 70 YDS. LADY FROM CAR BEHIND ME WHILE LNDG; HELPED US PUSH PLANE OVER WHILE I STEERED TAILWHEEL. SO ACFT DIDN'T ROLL DOWN EMBANKMENT AND GET TOTALED. GOT L WING OUT OF R LANE AND NO CARS PILED UP. PLANE OK; PEOPLE OK AND 1ST TIME PAX OK.

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.