Forced landing off airport.

Attributes
ACN	140859
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : alt
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1030 flight time type : 370
ASRS Report	140859
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Engine failed causing forced landing off airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter was ferrying the small aircraft and stated that the aircraft had been fueled by the FBO. He visually checked the fuel tanks and they were absolutely full since the owner had stated that the fuel gauges on the aircraft weren't very accurate. At the time of observation during preflight the gauges read 3/4 on one and 1/2 on the other. The pilot used the mfr's fuel burn for flight planning and had planned a 3.9 hour flight plan with a 5 hour fuel available. Just 15 mins from his scheduled fuel stop the engine quit. The right wing tip hit a small tree that loomed out of the dusk on the off airport landing. The required reports were sent in to the FAA and NTSB. Pilot heard that the fuel tanks were fairly low to dry so the assumption is that the engine quit because of fuel starvation. Nothing has been heard from the FAA or NTSB. Aircraft is stored at an airport near the landing area. The fuel gauges at the time and prior to the engine quitting were in a fluctuating state at or near the low end of the scale. The brief report was filed on the NASA form at the advice of the reporter's attorney.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT.

Narrative: ENG FAILED CAUSING FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR WAS FERRYING THE SMA AND STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN FUELED BY THE FBO. HE VISUALLY CHKED THE FUEL TANKS AND THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY FULL SINCE THE OWNER HAD STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES ON THE ACFT WEREN'T VERY ACCURATE. AT THE TIME OF OBSERVATION DURING PREFLT THE GAUGES READ 3/4 ON ONE AND 1/2 ON THE OTHER. THE PLT USED THE MFR'S FUEL BURN FOR FLT PLANNING AND HAD PLANNED A 3.9 HR FLT PLAN WITH A 5 HR FUEL AVAILABLE. JUST 15 MINS FROM HIS SCHEDULED FUEL STOP THE ENG QUIT. THE R WING TIP HIT A SMALL TREE THAT LOOMED OUT OF THE DUSK ON THE OFF ARPT LNDG. THE REQUIRED RPTS WERE SENT IN TO THE FAA AND NTSB. PLT HEARD THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE FAIRLY LOW TO DRY SO THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE ENG QUIT BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION. NOTHING HAS BEEN HEARD FROM THE FAA OR NTSB. ACFT IS STORED AT AN ARPT NEAR THE LNDG AREA. THE FUEL GAUGES AT THE TIME AND PRIOR TO THE ENG QUITTING WERE IN A FLUCTUATING STATE AT OR NEAR THE LOW END OF THE SCALE. THE BRIEF RPT WAS FILED ON THE NASA FORM AT THE ADVICE OF THE RPTR'S ATTORNEY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.