Atx small aircraft emergency landing off airport account fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	90977
Time
Date	198807
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx airport : p19
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 2200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	90977
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I departed bur at XA20 with approximately 60 gals of fuel. Destination P19. As I reached a point of about 5 mi right base to land on runway 17 at P19 leaving 2200', the engine started faltering. So, I switched tanks. Then the engine started back up. Then I noticed the fuel qty which read 8 gals, so I thought it couldn't be the fuel because I'd made this same run 6 days/week for 2 weeks with the same amount of fuel with a reserve upon landing. So, I began to trouble shoot putting on the fuel pump, etc. The oil temperature was high, but pressure was normal. The fuel qty indicators showed about 8-9 gals. Then the engine quit again on 3/4 mi right base. Maintaining the airspeed I got ready to ditch. The preflight planning included a preflight WX briefing. With filing an IFR departure/VFR en route, winds aloft. Everything was routine. Fuel gauges did indicate fuel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: aircraft did not make it to airport and in off airport landing nose gear was bent and propeller tip was bent. Claims gauges still showed 8-9 gals fuel but after incident only had about 3 qt by sticking so problem was fuel starvation. Other aircraft had made run with were newer models and this was older aircraft so could have been a high fuel burner. FAA is investigating but has not made final determination whether incident or accident. Company has let pilot go from employment since incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMA EMERGENCY LNDG OFF ARPT ACCOUNT FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BUR AT XA20 WITH APPROX 60 GALS OF FUEL. DEST P19. AS I REACHED A POINT OF ABOUT 5 MI RIGHT BASE TO LAND ON RWY 17 AT P19 LEAVING 2200', THE ENG STARTED FALTERING. SO, I SWITCHED TANKS. THEN THE ENG STARTED BACK UP. THEN I NOTICED THE FUEL QTY WHICH READ 8 GALS, SO I THOUGHT IT COULDN'T BE THE FUEL BECAUSE I'D MADE THIS SAME RUN 6 DAYS/WK FOR 2 WKS WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL WITH A RESERVE UPON LNDG. SO, I BEGAN TO TROUBLE SHOOT PUTTING ON THE FUEL PUMP, ETC. THE OIL TEMP WAS HIGH, BUT PRESSURE WAS NORMAL. THE FUEL QTY INDICATORS SHOWED ABOUT 8-9 GALS. THEN THE ENG QUIT AGAIN ON 3/4 MI RIGHT BASE. MAINTAINING THE AIRSPD I GOT READY TO DITCH. THE PREFLT PLANNING INCLUDED A PREFLT WX BRIEFING. WITH FILING AN IFR DEP/VFR ENRTE, WINDS ALOFT. EVERYTHING WAS ROUTINE. FUEL GAUGES DID INDICATE FUEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ACFT DID NOT MAKE IT TO ARPT AND IN OFF ARPT LNDG NOSE GEAR WAS BENT AND PROP TIP WAS BENT. CLAIMS GAUGES STILL SHOWED 8-9 GALS FUEL BUT AFTER INCIDENT ONLY HAD ABOUT 3 QT BY STICKING SO PROB WAS FUEL STARVATION. OTHER ACFT HAD MADE RUN WITH WERE NEWER MODELS AND THIS WAS OLDER ACFT SO COULD HAVE BEEN A HIGH FUEL BURNER. FAA IS INVESTIGATING BUT HAS NOT MADE FINAL DETERMINATION WHETHER INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. COMPANY HAS LET PLT GO FROM EMPLOYMENT SINCE INCIDENT.

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.