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Small aircraft aircraft ran out of gas and landed on interstate highway at night, two miles northeast of ric airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 83288 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198803 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ric |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ric tower : bos |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 83288 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Around XA00 local time I visually checked the tanks on small aircraft X and confirmed they were topped off. Then I took a chkout flight with an instrument which put .4 on the clock. After this I picked up an IFR clearance and flew to bader field, atlantic city, which put 1.9 hours on the clock since fueling. Around XH45 I departed atlantic city for richmond on what I estimated to be a 2 hour, 10 min flight with over 3 hours fuel on board. About 5 mi from richmond airport I began to run out of fuel. I had been cleared to land but told approach control that I would need to make a landing on I-295 about 2 mi from the airport. I did this west/O any conflict to traffic on the road and west/O injuring myself, anybody else, or the airplane. The clock on the plane indicated 4.3 hours had elapsed since the tanks were topped off. The owners manual states that 4.8 hours is the endurance at maximum cruise power of 75%. I was at less than 75% power for over 45 mins of my flight. The only contributing factor that might have caused this is a fairly new engine that had been put in the airplane recently.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ACFT RAN OUT OF GAS AND LANDED ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, TWO MILES NORTHEAST OF RIC ARPT.
Narrative: AROUND XA00 LCL TIME I VISUALLY CHKED THE TANKS ON SMA X AND CONFIRMED THEY WERE TOPPED OFF. THEN I TOOK A CHKOUT FLT WITH AN INSTR WHICH PUT .4 ON THE CLOCK. AFTER THIS I PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC AND FLEW TO BADER FIELD, ATLANTIC CITY, WHICH PUT 1.9 HRS ON THE CLOCK SINCE FUELING. AROUND XH45 I DEPARTED ATLANTIC CITY FOR RICHMOND ON WHAT I ESTIMATED TO BE A 2 HR, 10 MIN FLT WITH OVER 3 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. ABOUT 5 MI FROM RICHMOND ARPT I BEGAN TO RUN OUT OF FUEL. I HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND BUT TOLD APCH CTL THAT I WOULD NEED TO MAKE A LNDG ON I-295 ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT. I DID THIS W/O ANY CONFLICT TO TFC ON THE ROAD AND W/O INJURING MYSELF, ANYBODY ELSE, OR THE AIRPLANE. THE CLOCK ON THE PLANE INDICATED 4.3 HRS HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT 4.8 HRS IS THE ENDURANCE AT MAX CRUISE PWR OF 75%. I WAS AT LESS THAN 75% PWR FOR OVER 45 MINS OF MY FLT. THE ONLY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THIS IS A FAIRLY NEW ENG THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN THE AIRPLANE RECENTLY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.