Vintage small aircraft experiences fuel exhaustion due misfueling and makes forced landing.

Attributes
ACN	150133
Time
Date	199007
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
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	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 548 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	150133
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Heading south along the beach in miami beach when the engine quit. Saw a vacant stretch of sand, and decided to land there instead of landing in the water. Landing was accomplished successfully. No injuries no damage to aircraft. Aircraft fuel tank contained approximately 1 quart of fuel (FAA drained fuel) case of fuel exhaustion. However, it appears that there are contributing factors to this problem. Particularly in this type aircraft. The fuel gauge is known to be highly inaccurate and in publications it is strongly recommended to visually check fuel quantity (which I did). The small aircraft had only one filling point on left wing although it has a tank in each wing with capacity of 26 1/2 gals. The more serious problem is the venting system that can cause an air lock and on visibility quantity check is may appear to be near full while it is not at all due to the air lock in the tank. This is also documented and available upon request. That morning during the preflight I estimated at least 18 gals of fuel which should last more than 1 1/2 hours but it lasted less than one hour. The FAA is also citing me for lack of paperwork for relocating the throttle from the instrument panel to the left side wall, and for not having the fuel type and tank capacity stenciled on the filler cap. Also for not having the magnetic compass deviating marked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VINTAGE SMA EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE MISFUELING AND MAKES FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: HDG S ALONG THE BEACH IN MIAMI BEACH WHEN THE ENG QUIT. SAW A VACANT STRETCH OF SAND, AND DECIDED TO LAND THERE INSTEAD OF LNDG IN THE WATER. LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY. NO INJURIES NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. ACFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROX 1 QUART OF FUEL (FAA DRAINED FUEL) CASE OF FUEL EXHAUSTION. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS PROB. PARTICULARLY IN THIS TYPE ACFT. THE FUEL GAUGE IS KNOWN TO BE HIGHLY INACCURATE AND IN PUBLICATIONS IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO VISUALLY CHK FUEL QUANTITY (WHICH I DID). THE SMA HAD ONLY ONE FILLING POINT ON L WING ALTHOUGH IT HAS A TANK IN EACH WING WITH CAPACITY OF 26 1/2 GALS. THE MORE SERIOUS PROB IS THE VENTING SYS THAT CAN CAUSE AN AIR LOCK AND ON VIS QUANTITY CHK IS MAY APPEAR TO BE NEAR FULL WHILE IT IS NOT AT ALL DUE TO THE AIR LOCK IN THE TANK. THIS IS ALSO DOCUMENTED AND AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. THAT MORNING DURING THE PREFLT I ESTIMATED AT LEAST 18 GALS OF FUEL WHICH SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 1 1/2 HRS BUT IT LASTED LESS THAN ONE HR. THE FAA IS ALSO CITING ME FOR LACK OF PAPERWORK FOR RELOCATING THE THROTTLE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE L SIDE WALL, AND FOR NOT HAVING THE FUEL TYPE AND TANK CAPACITY STENCILED ON THE FILLER CAP. ALSO FOR NOT HAVING THE MAGNETIC COMPASS DEVIATING MARKED.

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.