Narrative:

Decided on local pleasure flight and as I turned back towards home base; engine sputtered with symptom of fuel starvation. Upon of selecting reserve fuel; engine began proper operation. I always have the 'header tank' (reserve) full with 6 gals of fuel. My fuel burn averages 6 gph at 2200 RPM. I was less than 20 mins from airport at the time of selecting reserve fuel. I was at least half that distance when my engine sputtered again from fuel starvation. Silence is the worst sound while in-flight. I was closer to ZZZ and immediately diverted; selected back to main tanks and did get some fuel to the engine. I selected frequency for ZZZ tower and made radio call. Upon 5 mi out or so; engine quit again and I communicated to the ATC that I was declaring an in-flight emergency. I set up for the best glide angle confign for engine out landing attempt (during which time I did switch tank selector with no results either way). Upon realization that I would be on field; but short of runway; I informed tower that I wouldn't make it to runway and asked if anything on the turf would be a problem. Response was only the VOR off the end of the runway (for which I am familiar with location). Upon final approach into grass area short of runway; I observed a row of 8 metal bars that were approximately 5 or 6 ft high with 2 red lights on each end and knew I couldn't clear them so I altered course to the left to clear and made a hard landing into the grass. There were 2 souls on board and zero injuries sustained to either soul. Practically all of the area; while on an incline; was for the most part level but thick grass and a lot of divots and ruts (for a lack of better words). However; I was unlucky enough to find a rather deep 'vee type' of the terrain and landed right down into the pocket of it. This caused my landing gear significant damage and caused what would have been a turf rough landing; into a hard landing causing great damage to my undercarriage. For the life of me I couldn't understand why my fuel reserves were so inadequate lasting only a few mins instead of practically an hour. Then once I was able to clam down and unwind much later at home; it suddenly dawned on me that earlier that day as I arrived to my hangar; I noticed that there was a gap between my hangar doors and the side wall of my hangar. Enough of a gap in fact; that I turned sideways and walked right in without unlocking and sliding open the doors. I was alarmed and the first thought was theft of my aircraft equipment; tools; etc inside. But after a quick look around; there was nothing apparently missing; but it never occurred to me to check my fuel tanks! It is my honest opinion that someone took fuel out of my aircraft. I average 6 hours of flight before I even have to think about reserves and after adding up my total flight time until my hard landing; the time added up to only 4.3 hours of flight time/fuel. I now regret not having the insight to open my reserve tank and make sure it was still full. I simply believed that no one had taken anything after all. My other regret is not buying an inexpensive set of night vision goggles. Had I not been near an airport; an engine out emergency landing would be a huge risk in an unpopulated area not distinguishing the landscape from rows of deadly trees. I urge anyone to take that into advisement -- not for night flying; but in an emergency situation that could not only mean a correct choice in sight; but allow you to see the terrain for a better survivable landing! Fortunately for me I can live and learn on both of these situations and hopefully may help others as well. And if you even suspect something is amiss or if you are at another airport and tied down outside; check your reserve fuel tanks to ensure someone dishonest put you in harm's way in the land of rising fuel prices. I try to convince myself that those thieves are assuming the PIC will refuel the aircraft prior to flight; and aren't just so callous that they don't care about whether or not you and your passenger return from flight at all just for a few gals of gas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FAILED ON HOME BUILT ACFT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. PLT CONDUCTED FORCED LNDG AT NIGHT INTO ARPT. ACFT LANDED IN TERRAIN SHORT OF RWY.

Narrative: DECIDED ON LCL PLEASURE FLT AND AS I TURNED BACK TOWARDS HOME BASE; ENG SPUTTERED WITH SYMPTOM OF FUEL STARVATION. UPON OF SELECTING RESERVE FUEL; ENG BEGAN PROPER OP. I ALWAYS HAVE THE 'HEADER TANK' (RESERVE) FULL WITH 6 GALS OF FUEL. MY FUEL BURN AVERAGES 6 GPH AT 2200 RPM. I WAS LESS THAN 20 MINS FROM ARPT AT THE TIME OF SELECTING RESERVE FUEL. I WAS AT LEAST HALF THAT DISTANCE WHEN MY ENG SPUTTERED AGAIN FROM FUEL STARVATION. SILENCE IS THE WORST SOUND WHILE INFLT. I WAS CLOSER TO ZZZ AND IMMEDIATELY DIVERTED; SELECTED BACK TO MAIN TANKS AND DID GET SOME FUEL TO THE ENG. I SELECTED FREQ FOR ZZZ TWR AND MADE RADIO CALL. UPON 5 MI OUT OR SO; ENG QUIT AGAIN AND I COMMUNICATED TO THE ATC THAT I WAS DECLARING AN INFLT EMER. I SET UP FOR THE BEST GLIDE ANGLE CONFIGN FOR ENG OUT LNDG ATTEMPT (DURING WHICH TIME I DID SWITCH TANK SELECTOR WITH NO RESULTS EITHER WAY). UPON REALIZATION THAT I WOULD BE ON FIELD; BUT SHORT OF RWY; I INFORMED TWR THAT I WOULDN'T MAKE IT TO RWY AND ASKED IF ANYTHING ON THE TURF WOULD BE A PROB. RESPONSE WAS ONLY THE VOR OFF THE END OF THE RWY (FOR WHICH I AM FAMILIAR WITH LOCATION). UPON FINAL APCH INTO GRASS AREA SHORT OF RWY; I OBSERVED A ROW OF 8 METAL BARS THAT WERE APPROX 5 OR 6 FT HIGH WITH 2 RED LIGHTS ON EACH END AND KNEW I COULDN'T CLR THEM SO I ALTERED COURSE TO THE L TO CLR AND MADE A HARD LNDG INTO THE GRASS. THERE WERE 2 SOULS ON BOARD AND ZERO INJURIES SUSTAINED TO EITHER SOUL. PRACTICALLY ALL OF THE AREA; WHILE ON AN INCLINE; WAS FOR THE MOST PART LEVEL BUT THICK GRASS AND A LOT OF DIVOTS AND RUTS (FOR A LACK OF BETTER WORDS). HOWEVER; I WAS UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A RATHER DEEP 'VEE TYPE' OF THE TERRAIN AND LANDED RIGHT DOWN INTO THE POCKET OF IT. THIS CAUSED MY LNDG GEAR SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND CAUSED WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TURF ROUGH LNDG; INTO A HARD LNDG CAUSING GREAT DAMAGE TO MY UNDERCARRIAGE. FOR THE LIFE OF ME I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY FUEL RESERVES WERE SO INADEQUATE LASTING ONLY A FEW MINS INSTEAD OF PRACTICALLY AN HR. THEN ONCE I WAS ABLE TO CLAM DOWN AND UNWIND MUCH LATER AT HOME; IT SUDDENLY DAWNED ON ME THAT EARLIER THAT DAY AS I ARRIVED TO MY HANGAR; I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A GAP BTWN MY HANGAR DOORS AND THE SIDE WALL OF MY HANGAR. ENOUGH OF A GAP IN FACT; THAT I TURNED SIDEWAYS AND WALKED RIGHT IN WITHOUT UNLOCKING AND SLIDING OPEN THE DOORS. I WAS ALARMED AND THE FIRST THOUGHT WAS THEFT OF MY ACFT EQUIP; TOOLS; ETC INSIDE. BUT AFTER A QUICK LOOK AROUND; THERE WAS NOTHING APPARENTLY MISSING; BUT IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO CHK MY FUEL TANKS! IT IS MY HONEST OPINION THAT SOMEONE TOOK FUEL OUT OF MY ACFT. I AVERAGE 6 HRS OF FLT BEFORE I EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT RESERVES AND AFTER ADDING UP MY TOTAL FLT TIME UNTIL MY HARD LNDG; THE TIME ADDED UP TO ONLY 4.3 HRS OF FLT TIME/FUEL. I NOW REGRET NOT HAVING THE INSIGHT TO OPEN MY RESERVE TANK AND MAKE SURE IT WAS STILL FULL. I SIMPLY BELIEVED THAT NO ONE HAD TAKEN ANYTHING AFTER ALL. MY OTHER REGRET IS NOT BUYING AN INEXPENSIVE SET OF NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. HAD I NOT BEEN NEAR AN ARPT; AN ENG OUT EMER LNDG WOULD BE A HUGE RISK IN AN UNPOPULATED AREA NOT DISTINGUISHING THE LANDSCAPE FROM ROWS OF DEADLY TREES. I URGE ANYONE TO TAKE THAT INTO ADVISEMENT -- NOT FOR NIGHT FLYING; BUT IN AN EMER SITUATION THAT COULD NOT ONLY MEAN A CORRECT CHOICE IN SIGHT; BUT ALLOW YOU TO SEE THE TERRAIN FOR A BETTER SURVIVABLE LNDG! FORTUNATELY FOR ME I CAN LIVE AND LEARN ON BOTH OF THESE SITUATIONS AND HOPEFULLY MAY HELP OTHERS AS WELL. AND IF YOU EVEN SUSPECT SOMETHING IS AMISS OR IF YOU ARE AT ANOTHER ARPT AND TIED DOWN OUTSIDE; CHK YOUR RESERVE FUEL TANKS TO ENSURE SOMEONE DISHONEST PUT YOU IN HARM'S WAY IN THE LAND OF RISING FUEL PRICES. I TRY TO CONVINCE MYSELF THAT THOSE THIEVES ARE ASSUMING THE PIC WILL REFUEL THE ACFT PRIOR TO FLT; AND AREN'T JUST SO CALLOUS THAT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU AND YOUR PAX RETURN FROM FLT AT ALL JUST FOR A FEW GALS OF GAS.

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.