Decathlon pilot reports running out of fuel at 4;500 ft due to a math error and landed in a bean fie...

Attributes
ACN	977162
Time
Date	201110
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Decathlon 8KCAB
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	None
Component
Aircraft Component	Fuel Quantity-Pressure Indication
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45 Flight Crew Total 2100 Flight Crew Type 200
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue

Narrative:

[I experienced] fuel exhaustion resulting in an off airport landing in a harvested soybean field. No damage to aircraft; flight crew; or people or property on the ground. Cause was miscalculation of fuel on board due to a math error. Fuel gauges are insensitive in the bottom quarter of fuel load so greater dependence is placed upon the flight time since top off. Contributing was partial reliance on fuel flow monitor which was recently installed. Subsequently the fuel was completely drained and progressively refilled to recalibrate fuel gauges. Contributing was haste in departure due to late arrival of mechanic and sense of urgency to meet others at a destination airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Decathlon pilot reports running out of fuel at 4;500 FT due to a math error and landed in a bean field.

Narrative: [I experienced] fuel exhaustion resulting in an off airport landing in a harvested soybean field. No damage to aircraft; flight crew; or people or property on the ground. Cause was miscalculation of fuel on board due to a math error. Fuel gauges are insensitive in the bottom quarter of fuel load so greater dependence is placed upon the flight time since top off. Contributing was partial reliance on fuel flow monitor which was recently installed. Subsequently the fuel was completely drained and progressively refilled to recalibrate fuel gauges. Contributing was haste in departure due to late arrival of Mechanic and sense of urgency to meet others at a destination airport.

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.

Decathlon pilot reports running out of fuel at 4;500 ft due to a math error and landed in a bean field.