GA small aircraft off airport landing due fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	125175
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dta
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	125175
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route from el cajon, ca to wyoming, I stopped for fuel in las vegas, nv and took on 4 hours (32 gal) total of gas. I flew 1 hour on right tank, switched to left tank for 1 hour, and went back to right tank. Instead of about 8 gal, there appeared to be approximately 5 gals of fuel in the right tank. I switched back to the left tank which indicated 8 gals. Tried landing for fuel at milford, ut and at delta, ut. Both fields were unattended (about xa pm). Flew on for a while and became worried about totally running out of fuel. I landed on a highway near a gas station in a small town called lyndyl, ut, and broke wooden propeller in taxiing to station. With the help from local residents we hangared the plane in a barn. Inspection of aircraft revealed that sump drain was leaking badly. Valve o-ring was torn. One week later a friend flew me back to utah where I replaced the propeller and the tank drain. Then I flew the aircraft back to el cajon, ca with no problem. To prevent recurrence I intend to inspect the tank drain on a regular basis during preflight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA OFF ARPT LNDG DUE FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM EL CAJON, CA TO WYOMING, I STOPPED FOR FUEL IN LAS VEGAS, NV AND TOOK ON 4 HRS (32 GAL) TOTAL OF GAS. I FLEW 1 HR ON RIGHT TANK, SWITCHED TO LEFT TANK FOR 1 HR, AND WENT BACK TO RIGHT TANK. INSTEAD OF ABOUT 8 GAL, THERE APPEARED TO BE APPROX 5 GALS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. I SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT TANK WHICH INDICATED 8 GALS. TRIED LNDG FOR FUEL AT MILFORD, UT AND AT DELTA, UT. BOTH FIELDS WERE UNATTENDED (ABOUT XA PM). FLEW ON FOR A WHILE AND BECAME WORRIED ABOUT TOTALLY RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. I LANDED ON A HIGHWAY NEAR A GAS STATION IN A SMALL TOWN CALLED LYNDYL, UT, AND BROKE WOODEN PROPELLER IN TAXIING TO STATION. WITH THE HELP FROM LCL RESIDENTS WE HANGARED THE PLANE IN A BARN. INSPECTION OF ACFT REVEALED THAT SUMP DRAIN WAS LEAKING BADLY. VALVE O-RING WAS TORN. ONE WEEK LATER A FRIEND FLEW ME BACK TO UTAH WHERE I REPLACED THE PROPELLER AND THE TANK DRAIN. THEN I FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO EL CAJON, CA WITH NO PROBLEM. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE I INTEND TO INSPECT THE TANK DRAIN ON A REGULAR BASIS DURING PREFLT.

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.