Narrative:

I made a precautionary landing on a road because I was unable to find my destination airport and feared I would run out of gas. I was flying VFR navigating by VOR referencing WAC charts. I realized I was in the area of winterset airport, where I was to land for gas, but had not spotted it. I began circling looking for the airport, then took up a new VOR heading that should have taken me right over it, but my fuel gauges were indicating near empty. I had been timing my fuel burn and calculated that I should have approximately 45 mins of fuel remaining, but I became uncomfortable with the situation and landed on a road. The road was, I believe, highway xa just east of highway xb in iowa. The area around the road was farmland planted in crops. There were 2 cars on the road traveling in the same direction about 1 mi apart. I landed between the 2 cars and never got anywhere close to them. There were no houses or other people in the area. There was never any danger to anyone including myself. There was no damage done to my aircraft or anyone's property. I have an automatic-gas stc for my aircraft and was able to gas up and take off with the police's and the FAA's approval the problem was caused by sloppy navigation on my part along with the use of WAC charts. The WAC charts lack sufficient detail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAN LOW ON FUEL DECIDED TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON ROAD. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. UNABLE CALLBACK.

Narrative: I MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A ROAD BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO FIND MY DEST ARPT AND FEARED I WOULD RUN OUT OF GAS. I WAS FLYING VFR NAVIGATING BY VOR REFERENCING WAC CHARTS. I REALIZED I WAS IN THE AREA OF WINTERSET ARPT, WHERE I WAS TO LAND FOR GAS, BUT HAD NOT SPOTTED IT. I BEGAN CIRCLING LOOKING FOR THE ARPT, THEN TOOK UP A NEW VOR HDG THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ME RIGHT OVER IT, BUT MY FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING NEAR EMPTY. I HAD BEEN TIMING MY FUEL BURN AND CALCULATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE APPROX 45 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING, BUT I BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SITUATION AND LANDED ON A ROAD. THE ROAD WAS, I BELIEVE, HIGHWAY XA JUST E OF HIGHWAY XB IN IOWA. THE AREA AROUND THE ROAD WAS FARMLAND PLANTED IN CROPS. THERE WERE 2 CARS ON THE ROAD TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION ABOUT 1 MI APART. I LANDED BETWEEN THE 2 CARS AND NEVER GOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THEM. THERE WERE NO HOUSES OR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE AREA. THERE WAS NEVER ANY DANGER TO ANYONE INCLUDING MYSELF. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO MY ACFT OR ANYONE'S PROPERTY. I HAVE AN AUTO-GAS STC FOR MY ACFT AND WAS ABLE TO GAS UP AND TAKE OFF WITH THE POLICE'S AND THE FAA'S APPROVAL THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY SLOPPY NAVIGATION ON MY PART ALONG WITH THE USE OF WAC CHARTS. THE WAC CHARTS LACK SUFFICIENT DETAIL.

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.