Fuel starvation results in off airport landing, no damage or injuries.

Attributes
ACN	89634
Time
Date	198806
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dns
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 324 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	89634
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flew from north omaha airport, northeast, to spirit lake airport, ia, on 6/sun/88 with calculated 4 hours of fuel. Landed spirit lake after flight of 1 1/2 hours. Airplane uses 80 octane AVGAS, only 100 ll available at spirit lake. Departed spirit lake for north omaha that same day at 9 pm. Did not top off tanks due to no fuel of proper octane available. Encountered very strong headwinds such that I decided to land at ida grove airport, ia, after 1 1/2 hours of flying, leaving a calculated reserve of 3/4 hour fuel. Next morning, june, discovered that airport was replacing fuel tanks and was not capable of refueling my aircraft. Although airplane is stc for mogas having no ground transport, I decided to refuel at denison airport. 24 mi due south. Departed ida grove at XA20 am and after 1/4 hour of flying engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion. I made a successful power off landing in an oats yield 5 NM northwest of denison, ia. There was no injury to myself or passenger and no damage to airplane. After obtaining help from farmer, denison airport personnel and the highway patrol my aircraft was fueled and taxied to highway 59. With the highway patrol officer blocking the highway I took off for denison airport. After topping all tanks there I continued to north omaha airport. Although fuel gauge indicated calculated fuel amount throughout trip I had neglected to take into account 1/2 hour flying time! I had the opportunity to top off tanks at several airports en route the previous evening, but due to their proximity to spirit lake (less than 25 mi( I decided to bypass them. Should have put at least 5 gals of mogas in tank at ida grove, but lack of transport and not being sure of the quality of off airport mogas played part in decision to refuel at denison. Over familiarization with tanks before cross country flying, even if with 100 ll octane, played a part in eventual fuel exhaustion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL STARVATION RESULTS IN OFF ARPT LNDG, NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Narrative: FLEW FROM NORTH OMAHA ARPT, NE, TO SPIRIT LAKE ARPT, IA, ON 6/SUN/88 WITH CALCULATED 4 HRS OF FUEL. LANDED SPIRIT LAKE AFTER FLT OF 1 1/2 HRS. AIRPLANE USES 80 OCTANE AVGAS, ONLY 100 LL AVAILABLE AT SPIRIT LAKE. DEPARTED SPIRIT LAKE FOR NORTH OMAHA THAT SAME DAY AT 9 PM. DID NOT TOP OFF TANKS DUE TO NO FUEL OF PROPER OCTANE AVAILABLE. ENCOUNTERED VERY STRONG HEADWINDS SUCH THAT I DECIDED TO LAND AT IDA GROVE ARPT, IA, AFTER 1 1/2 HRS OF FLYING, LEAVING A CALCULATED RESERVE OF 3/4 HR FUEL. NEXT MORNING, JUNE, DISCOVERED THAT ARPT WAS REPLACING FUEL TANKS AND WAS NOT CAPABLE OF REFUELING MY ACFT. ALTHOUGH AIRPLANE IS STC FOR MOGAS HAVING NO GND TRANSPORT, I DECIDED TO REFUEL AT DENISON ARPT. 24 MI DUE S. DEPARTED IDA GROVE AT XA20 AM AND AFTER 1/4 HR OF FLYING ENG STOPPED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. I MADE A SUCCESSFUL PWR OFF LNDG IN AN OATS YIELD 5 NM NW OF DENISON, IA. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO MYSELF OR PAX AND NO DAMAGE TO AIRPLANE. AFTER OBTAINING HELP FROM FARMER, DENISON ARPT PERSONNEL AND THE HWY PATROL MY ACFT WAS FUELED AND TAXIED TO HWY 59. WITH THE HWY PATROL OFFICER BLOCKING THE HWY I TOOK OFF FOR DENISON ARPT. AFTER TOPPING ALL TANKS THERE I CONTINUED TO NORTH OMAHA ARPT. ALTHOUGH FUEL GAUGE INDICATED CALCULATED FUEL AMOUNT THROUGHOUT TRIP I HAD NEGLECTED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT 1/2 HR FLYING TIME! I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOP OFF TANKS AT SEVERAL ARPTS ENRTE THE PREVIOUS EVENING, BUT DUE TO THEIR PROX TO SPIRIT LAKE (LESS THAN 25 MI( I DECIDED TO BYPASS THEM. SHOULD HAVE PUT AT LEAST 5 GALS OF MOGAS IN TANK AT IDA GROVE, BUT LACK OF TRANSPORT AND NOT BEING SURE OF THE QUALITY OF OFF ARPT MOGAS PLAYED PART IN DECISION TO REFUEL AT DENISON. OVER FAMILIARIZATION WITH TANKS BEFORE CROSS COUNTRY FLYING, EVEN IF WITH 100 LL OCTANE, PLAYED A PART IN EVENTUAL FUEL EXHAUSTION.

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.