Narrative:

Departed approximately mid morning. Fuel was full at 12 gallons. I was cruising at 3;300 at 2200-2250 rpm and leaned. Arrived at first fuel checkpoint at approximately an hour after takeoff; fuel quantities indicated above half; and I grew suspicious it was mis-indicating. I slowed the plane and jabbed the controls to shake the fuel in the tank. I had assumed my set up and leaning was yielding 5-5.5 gph burn. I decided to proceed to the next fuel checkpoint. I checked the time when the next airport came into sight; it was two hours and forty-five minutes after takeoff. Fuel quantity was indicating above half and again I jabbed the controls and shook the plane to see if the wire was stuck. The wire remained up and I decided to proceed to my destination another 15 minutes further. The engine quit a few miles past my last check point and changes to mixture; or pumping throttle did not make any changes. I could not reach primer from rear seat. I immediately turned toward the airport but soon realized I did not have sufficient altitude. I saw a wide open field and turned into the wind. I pulled nose up to stop windmilling prop and lined up to land. I bounced into some rough scrub and a ditch just short of the driving range; uninjured. I attribute the accident to my trust of a cork and a wire over my suspicions and experience; and my decision to keep flying rather than to land and investigate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A J3 engine quit because of fuel starvation after the pilot relied on the cork and wire fuel quantity indicator which was apparently stuck at half full when the tank was actually empty.

Narrative: Departed approximately mid morning. Fuel was full at 12 gallons. I was cruising at 3;300 at 2200-2250 rpm and leaned. Arrived at first fuel checkpoint at approximately an hour after takeoff; fuel quantities indicated above half; and I grew suspicious it was mis-indicating. I slowed the plane and jabbed the controls to shake the fuel in the tank. I had assumed my set up and leaning was yielding 5-5.5 GPH burn. I decided to proceed to the next fuel checkpoint. I checked the time when the next airport came into sight; it was two hours and forty-five minutes after takeoff. Fuel quantity was indicating above half and again I jabbed the controls and shook the plane to see if the wire was stuck. The wire remained up and I decided to proceed to my destination another 15 minutes further. The engine quit a few miles past my last check point and changes to mixture; or pumping throttle did not make any changes. I could not reach Primer from rear seat. I immediately turned toward the airport but soon realized I did not have sufficient altitude. I saw a wide open field and turned into the wind. I pulled nose up to stop windmilling prop and lined up to land. I bounced into some rough scrub and a ditch just short of the driving range; uninjured. I attribute the accident to my trust of a cork and a wire over my suspicions and experience; and my decision to keep flying rather than to land and investigate.

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.