Narrative:

The engine stopped due to fuel starvation approximately 9 NM east of placerville airport, my intended refuel destination. I had remained at 8500' MSL and was approximately 5000' AGL. The terrain below was rough, being the pine forests and ravines of the sierra nevada foothills. Although the airport was visualized, it was unreachable. 2 main choices for emergency landing sites were: 1) highway 50, a freeway, busy with labor day traffic, and 2) jenkinson lake (sky park reservoir). I chose the reservoir, as it was much less populated than the freeway. The amphibian is suited for this maneuver and I have been in the right seat on many water lndgs. However, I had not received a sea plane rating to date. Only the severity of the emergency situation prompted me to attempt my first water landing. I was able to reach the lake using the most efficient glide speed of 85 mph. The no power landing was satisfactory with no damage to the aircraft. I refueled with 92 octane ll and taxi-tested the aircraft on the water. As I did not have the confidence (nor the sea plane rating) to take off, I moored the plane in a cave until the next evening, when a properly rated pilot (and CFI) flew the aircraft back to the home airport. I had departed the airport at south lake tahoe (elevation 6264') with 10 gals usable fuel, or approximately 1 hour fuel on board. This allowed 20 mins for the 36 NM flight to placerville and 40 mins fuel reserve. The temperature in tahoe was 79 degrees F. The tower posted a density altitude of 8100'. Although I had no baggage weight, I had (for the first time) a passenger weighing 110#. I felt I should keep the weight minimal, expecting marginal climb out performance due to the density altitude, so I purchased only 4 gals of gas, bring the fuel on board to 10 gals. Under normal conditions this would have been adequate. Although my experience flying to tahoe is limited, I had flown out solo on a day with similar temperatures and had no difficulty. The standard procedure is to circle the golf course to gain altitude, the depart to the southwest through echo summit at 8500' MSL. The wind was quoting 71-5 KTS from the southwest, which assisted the takeoff from runway 18. As I attempted to circle and climb over the golf course, I encountered moderate turbulence and wind shear downdrafts. I also found the performance very marginal with the additional weight of a passenger. I elected to climb out circling over the lake instead, hoping to find less turbulence. I continued to encounter turbulence, and at times my rate of climb was 0 or even negative. I felt it would be risky to depart through echo summit at the usual 8500', so I continued to climb slowly to 9500' MSL. I felt this would allow an additional margin of safety if downdrafts were encountered flying through the pass. I had leaned my mixture prior to takeoff and continued lean as I gained altitude. Even so, I managed to use all my fuel reserves. The combination of high density altitude, turbulence and wind sheer had conspired to turn a short hop into a stressful, dangerous situation. It is disappointing to discover that my aircraft has such limited high altitude performance. I will not be flying back to tahoe until I am flying a more powerful aircraft with much better performance characteristics.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AMPHIBIOUS PLT RUNS OUT OF FUEL AND LANDS ON LAKE IN EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: THE ENG STOPPED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION APPROX 9 NM E OF PLACERVILLE ARPT, MY INTENDED REFUEL DEST. I HAD REMAINED AT 8500' MSL AND WAS APPROX 5000' AGL. THE TERRAIN BELOW WAS ROUGH, BEING THE PINE FORESTS AND RAVINES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS. ALTHOUGH THE ARPT WAS VISUALIZED, IT WAS UNREACHABLE. 2 MAIN CHOICES FOR EMER LNDG SITES WERE: 1) HWY 50, A FREEWAY, BUSY WITH LABOR DAY TFC, AND 2) JENKINSON LAKE (SKY PARK RESERVOIR). I CHOSE THE RESERVOIR, AS IT WAS MUCH LESS POPULATED THAN THE FREEWAY. THE AMPHIBIAN IS SUITED FOR THIS MANEUVER AND I HAVE BEEN IN THE RIGHT SEAT ON MANY WATER LNDGS. HOWEVER, I HAD NOT RECEIVED A SEA PLANE RATING TO DATE. ONLY THE SEVERITY OF THE EMER SITUATION PROMPTED ME TO ATTEMPT MY FIRST WATER LNDG. I WAS ABLE TO REACH THE LAKE USING THE MOST EFFICIENT GLIDE SPD OF 85 MPH. THE NO PWR LNDG WAS SATISFACTORY WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I REFUELED WITH 92 OCTANE LL AND TAXI-TESTED THE ACFT ON THE WATER. AS I DID NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE (NOR THE SEA PLANE RATING) TO TAKE OFF, I MOORED THE PLANE IN A CAVE UNTIL THE NEXT EVENING, WHEN A PROPERLY RATED PLT (AND CFI) FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO THE HOME ARPT. I HAD DEPARTED THE ARPT AT SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (ELEVATION 6264') WITH 10 GALS USABLE FUEL, OR APPROX 1 HR FUEL ON BOARD. THIS ALLOWED 20 MINS FOR THE 36 NM FLT TO PLACERVILLE AND 40 MINS FUEL RESERVE. THE TEMP IN TAHOE WAS 79 DEGS F. THE TWR POSTED A DENSITY ALT OF 8100'. ALTHOUGH I HAD NO BAGGAGE WT, I HAD (FOR THE FIRST TIME) A PAX WEIGHING 110#. I FELT I SHOULD KEEP THE WT MINIMAL, EXPECTING MARGINAL CLBOUT PERFORMANCE DUE TO THE DENSITY ALT, SO I PURCHASED ONLY 4 GALS OF GAS, BRING THE FUEL ON BOARD TO 10 GALS. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE. ALTHOUGH MY EXPERIENCE FLYING TO TAHOE IS LIMITED, I HAD FLOWN OUT SOLO ON A DAY WITH SIMILAR TEMPS AND HAD NO DIFFICULTY. THE STANDARD PROC IS TO CIRCLE THE GOLF COURSE TO GAIN ALT, THE DEPART TO THE SW THROUGH ECHO SUMMIT AT 8500' MSL. THE WIND WAS QUOTING 71-5 KTS FROM THE SW, WHICH ASSISTED THE TKOF FROM RWY 18. AS I ATTEMPTED TO CIRCLE AND CLB OVER THE GOLF COURSE, I ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AND WIND SHEAR DOWNDRAFTS. I ALSO FOUND THE PERFORMANCE VERY MARGINAL WITH THE ADDITIONAL WT OF A PAX. I ELECTED TO CLB OUT CIRCLING OVER THE LAKE INSTEAD, HOPING TO FIND LESS TURB. I CONTINUED TO ENCOUNTER TURB, AND AT TIMES MY RATE OF CLB WAS 0 OR EVEN NEGATIVE. I FELT IT WOULD BE RISKY TO DEPART THROUGH ECHO SUMMIT AT THE USUAL 8500', SO I CONTINUED TO CLB SLOWLY TO 9500' MSL. I FELT THIS WOULD ALLOW AN ADDITIONAL MARGIN OF SAFETY IF DOWNDRAFTS WERE ENCOUNTERED FLYING THROUGH THE PASS. I HAD LEANED MY MIXTURE PRIOR TO TKOF AND CONTINUED LEAN AS I GAINED ALT. EVEN SO, I MANAGED TO USE ALL MY FUEL RESERVES. THE COMBINATION OF HIGH DENSITY ALT, TURB AND WIND SHEER HAD CONSPIRED TO TURN A SHORT HOP INTO A STRESSFUL, DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT IS DISAPPOINTING TO DISCOVER THAT MY ACFT HAS SUCH LIMITED HIGH ALT PERFORMANCE. I WILL NOT BE FLYING BACK TO TAHOE UNTIL I AM FLYING A MORE POWERFUL ACFT WITH MUCH BETTER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS.

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.