Aircraft landed in grass field short of the runway.

Attributes
ACN	143275
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fxe
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 4574 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	143275
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Engine quit on short final due to running a tank dry. Landed on grassy apron short of the runway. No damage. No injuries. This was my first flight in an small aircraft aircraft. The systems were new to me and quite different from other complex aircraft I was used to. The owner (seller) conducted a thorough preflight briefing with me. We discussed hydraulic system, trim, fuel system and electrical system, plus flight characteristics. What I think really caused the problem is the complexity of the fuel system. Fuel tank selection for fuel to the engine is done with 1 knob. Fuel quantity to the gauge is selected by another knob. I had selected the right main (inboard) tank, as the owner told me to do, but mistakenly selected the right outboard tank to read fuel on the gauge. The pilot has to lean forward to see the fuel selector on the floor, under the pilot's left leg. The gauge selector requires a lean forward to see also. These 2 knobs are both out of sight when the pilot sits upright in a normal position. I believe that if the aircraft had 4 fuel gauges, one for each tank as required by far 91.33(B)(9), I would have noticed the fuel running low, and would have switched tanks during a prelndg checklist.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LANDED IN GRASS FIELD SHORT OF THE RWY.

Narrative: ENG QUIT ON SHORT FINAL DUE TO RUNNING A TANK DRY. LANDED ON GRASSY APRON SHORT OF THE RWY. NO DAMAGE. NO INJURIES. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT IN AN SMA ACFT. THE SYSTEMS WERE NEW TO ME AND QUITE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COMPLEX ACFT I WAS USED TO. THE OWNER (SELLER) CONDUCTED A THOROUGH PREFLT BRIEFING WITH ME. WE DISCUSSED HYD SYS, TRIM, FUEL SYS AND ELECTRICAL SYS, PLUS FLT CHARACTERISTICS. WHAT I THINK REALLY CAUSED THE PROB IS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FUEL SYS. FUEL TANK SELECTION FOR FUEL TO THE ENG IS DONE WITH 1 KNOB. FUEL QUANTITY TO THE GAUGE IS SELECTED BY ANOTHER KNOB. I HAD SELECTED THE RIGHT MAIN (INBOARD) TANK, AS THE OWNER TOLD ME TO DO, BUT MISTAKENLY SELECTED THE RIGHT OUTBOARD TANK TO READ FUEL ON THE GAUGE. THE PLT HAS TO LEAN FORWARD TO SEE THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE FLOOR, UNDER THE PLT'S LEFT LEG. THE GAUGE SELECTOR REQUIRES A LEAN FORWARD TO SEE ALSO. THESE 2 KNOBS ARE BOTH OUT OF SIGHT WHEN THE PLT SITS UPRIGHT IN A NORMAL POS. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE ACFT HAD 4 FUEL GAUGES, ONE FOR EACH TANK AS REQUIRED BY FAR 91.33(B)(9), I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE FUEL RUNNING LOW, AND WOULD HAVE SWITCHED TANKS DURING A PRELNDG CHKLIST.

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.