Narrative:

I had purchased an ercoup in august 2011. It had completed an annual inspection on the previous day. The paperwork was completed for the ownership transfer. I ordered gas and arrived just after the gas truck driver filled the plane with fuel and paid him. I did my pre-flight inspection. The wing tanks were full as was the header tank. The sight gauge bobber looked to be at the top of the tube. All appeared to be in order. I departed and headed for my home field. I experienced strong winds and thermal bumps. After approximately 15 to 20 minutes the plane lost power. I turned the plane back hoping to reach a nearby airport but fell short. Seeing there was no traffic on the hwy. I was able to successfully land the plane. There was no damage to the aircraft; other vehicles or individuals. After settling the plane off the road I observed the header tank was dry; but both wing tanks were still full. The fuel pump had failed; which was later verified; and had experienced high fuel burn. Due to the weathering and opaqueness of the fuel bobber tube; the bumpy ride; and glare from the sun it was difficult to see that the fuel level had fallen so low. As it had had its annual only weeks before I presumed everything was in full and safe working order. Since this incident: the sight gauge has been thoroughly cleaned and shows crystal clear. A new fuel pump has been ordered and will be installed upon receipt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: New Ercoupe owner experiences engine failure on first flight due to fuel pump failure which is not detected due to opaque sight gauge.

Narrative: I had purchased an Ercoup in August 2011. It had completed an Annual Inspection on the previous day. The paperwork was completed for the ownership transfer. I ordered gas and arrived just after the gas truck driver filled the plane with fuel and paid him. I did my pre-flight inspection. The wing tanks were full as was the header tank. The sight gauge bobber looked to be at the top of the tube. All appeared to be in order. I departed and headed for my home field. I experienced strong winds and thermal bumps. After approximately 15 to 20 minutes the plane lost power. I turned the plane back hoping to reach a nearby airport but fell short. Seeing there was no traffic on the Hwy. I was able to successfully land the plane. There was no damage to the aircraft; other vehicles or individuals. After settling the plane off the road I observed the header tank was dry; but both wing tanks were still full. The fuel pump had failed; which was later verified; and had experienced high fuel burn. Due to the weathering and opaqueness of the fuel bobber tube; the bumpy ride; and glare from the sun it was difficult to see that the fuel level had fallen so low. As it had had its annual only weeks before I presumed everything was in full and safe working order. Since this incident: The sight gauge has been thoroughly cleaned and shows crystal clear. A new fuel pump has been ordered and will be installed upon receipt.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.