Narrative:

Left brown (sdm) field (san) at approximately XA50 to palomar (crq). Left palomar with copilot at XB20 on a pleasure flight. No flight plan. Both pilot and copilot agreed not to fly past 3 flight hours on the hobbs meter for fuel management purposes. Route of flight ceq, radar follow to the lax VFR corridor, burbank approach. Radar follow to V485 direct, follows VOR direct, paso robles VOR, direct on V25 to salinas. Descending out of 8500' for the approach into salinas, we noticed that an entire hour had somehow eluded us. Realizing our mistake, we asked for a special VFR clearance into salinas which was now IFR. Permission was granted and we descended to 3500'. The engine started to cough, but we assumed it was carburetor ice. At 3300', we knew we had run out of gas. The tower was notified and they asked for position reports. We were not familiar with the area and we assumed by the controller's comments that we were just off the south side of the runway. We lost 2500', hoping the runway would materialize. It did not. At 800', I took control of the airplane from the first officer and proceeded with an emergency procedure and landing. Both pilots completely lost track of fuel management. We had both decided not to fly over 3 hours in flight west/O refueling. We had experienced some pretty tough turbulence that last hour and a half and while I was doing progress reports, VOR tracking and intxns, the first officer was concentrating on the flying end of it. To tell you the truth, I have no idea how the incident ever materialized. I am very conservative in my flying and never endanger the lives of others or take chances. The first officer and I are mystified as to such an occurrence ever happening. However, it is important to note that despite the fact that we said we were not going to fly over 3 hours, we repeatedly saw the gas meters reporting plenty of fuel left in each tank, one quarter to be exact. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following. Aircraft was landed in field 4 mi south of sns airport, totaled. No injuries. Dismantled and trucked out of field. Reporter was required to take an FAA flight check and has heard nothing further from the FAA. Descent was made clear of clouds, visibility was reduced. Reporter building time on extended cross country and lost complete track of time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON CROSS COUNTRY RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED IN FIELD. NO INJURIES BUT ACFT DESTROYED.

Narrative: LEFT BROWN (SDM) FIELD (SAN) AT APPROX XA50 TO PALOMAR (CRQ). LEFT PALOMAR WITH COPLT AT XB20 ON A PLEASURE FLT. NO FLT PLAN. BOTH PLT AND COPLT AGREED NOT TO FLY PAST 3 FLT HRS ON THE HOBBS METER FOR FUEL MGMNT PURPOSES. ROUTE OF FLT CEQ, RADAR FOLLOW TO THE LAX VFR CORRIDOR, BURBANK APCH. RADAR FOLLOW TO V485 DIRECT, FOLLOWS VOR DIRECT, PASO ROBLES VOR, DIRECT ON V25 TO SALINAS. DSNDING OUT OF 8500' FOR THE APCH INTO SALINAS, WE NOTICED THAT AN ENTIRE HR HAD SOMEHOW ELUDED US. REALIZING OUR MISTAKE, WE ASKED FOR A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC INTO SALINAS WHICH WAS NOW IFR. PERMISSION WAS GRANTED AND WE DSNDED TO 3500'. THE ENG STARTED TO COUGH, BUT WE ASSUMED IT WAS CARB ICE. AT 3300', WE KNEW WE HAD RUN OUT OF GAS. THE TWR WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY ASKED FOR POS RPTS. WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND WE ASSUMED BY THE CTLR'S COMMENTS THAT WE WERE JUST OFF THE S SIDE OF THE RWY. WE LOST 2500', HOPING THE RWY WOULD MATERIALIZE. IT DID NOT. AT 800', I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM THE F/O AND PROCEEDED WITH AN EMER PROC AND LNDG. BOTH PLTS COMPLETELY LOST TRACK OF FUEL MGMNT. WE HAD BOTH DECIDED NOT TO FLY OVER 3 HRS IN FLT W/O REFUELING. WE HAD EXPERIENCED SOME PRETTY TOUGH TURB THAT LAST HR AND A HALF AND WHILE I WAS DOING PROGRESS RPTS, VOR TRACKING AND INTXNS, THE F/O WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE FLYING END OF IT. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE INCIDENT EVER MATERIALIZED. I AM VERY CONSERVATIVE IN MY FLYING AND NEVER ENDANGER THE LIVES OF OTHERS OR TAKE CHANCES. THE F/O AND I ARE MYSTIFIED AS TO SUCH AN OCCURRENCE EVER HAPPENING. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE SAID WE WERE NOT GOING TO FLY OVER 3 HRS, WE REPEATEDLY SAW THE GAS METERS RPTING PLENTY OF FUEL LEFT IN EACH TANK, ONE QUARTER TO BE EXACT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. ACFT WAS LANDED IN FIELD 4 MI S OF SNS ARPT, TOTALED. NO INJURIES. DISMANTLED AND TRUCKED OUT OF FIELD. RPTR WAS REQUIRED TO TAKE AN FAA FLT CHK AND HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA. DSCNT WAS MADE CLR OF CLOUDS, VIS WAS REDUCED. RPTR BUILDING TIME ON EXTENDED CROSS COUNTRY AND LOST COMPLETE TRACK OF TIME.

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.