Narrative:

Removed right fuel bladder for repair. Plugged line so that auxiliary tank would be operational which 'T's' into line.. Auxiliary tank is installed under baggage compartment and pumped with a bendix electric fuel pump. Made entry in aircraft log that aircraft was ok for service using left wing tank (27.5) and auxiliary tank (18 gals). Fuel capacity was reduced to 3 hours, 38 mins. Flew to santa paula from coalinga, 1 hour ete. Actual flight time 50 mins. Departed santa paula for coalinga. 1 hour and 20 mins into flight left tank ran out of fuel. Had used it exclusively except for takeoffs and landing when auxiliary pump was used to provide 2 sources of fuel supply. (Had a 45 KT headwind.) switched to auxiliary tank and continued for 20 mins when engine quit. Switched to both tanks, cycled pump switch, engine caught momentarily but quit again. I made an emergency landing in an uncultivated pasture. No damage to aircraft, property or livestock and no injuries. I walked 1 mi to highway and caught a ride to my hangar to get ground transportation to haul fuel to aircraft. Returned to aircraft after dark and found 3 police vehs on scene. Assisted them with their report and they suggested I take off as soon as refueling was complete. I declined for obvious safety reasons. Returned next morning, took off west/O incident and flew to coalinga. Checked auxiliary fuel system which had 10 gals fuel remaining. Fuel filter was clean and fuel flow as normal. Noted that pump operation was erratic when the push-pull switch was twisted slightly. Removed the switch and verified the erratic operation with an ohmmeter. Disassembled switch and found contacts very pitted and burned. Conclusions: 1) use fuel that is dependent on a pump first, saving gravity fed fuel for final phase of flight and reserve. 2) provide method of determining if power is being supplied to an electric pump. Either a lighted switch or an indicating light would suffice. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that he did not have an a&P license. He said the FAA ramp checked him after the incident and that he has received a letter from them stating that they are planning action against him. He said he did it, and he has no defense. He entered the work he had done in the aircraft log book.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH MODIFICATION PLUS FAULTY FUEL PUMP SWITCH CAUSED FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: REMOVED RIGHT FUEL BLADDER FOR REPAIR. PLUGGED LINE SO THAT AUX TANK WOULD BE OPERATIONAL WHICH 'T'S' INTO LINE.. AUX TANK IS INSTALLED UNDER BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND PUMPED WITH A BENDIX ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. MADE ENTRY IN ACFT LOG THAT ACFT WAS OK FOR SVC USING LEFT WING TANK (27.5) AND AUX TANK (18 GALS). FUEL CAPACITY WAS REDUCED TO 3 HRS, 38 MINS. FLEW TO SANTA PAULA FROM COALINGA, 1 HR ETE. ACTUAL FLT TIME 50 MINS. DEPARTED SANTA PAULA FOR COALINGA. 1 HR AND 20 MINS INTO FLT LEFT TANK RAN OUT OF FUEL. HAD USED IT EXCLUSIVELY EXCEPT FOR TKOFS AND LNDG WHEN AUX PUMP WAS USED TO PROVIDE 2 SOURCES OF FUEL SUPPLY. (HAD A 45 KT HEADWIND.) SWITCHED TO AUX TANK AND CONTINUED FOR 20 MINS WHEN ENG QUIT. SWITCHED TO BOTH TANKS, CYCLED PUMP SWITCH, ENG CAUGHT MOMENTARILY BUT QUIT AGAIN. I MADE AN EMER LNDG IN AN UNCULTIVATED PASTURE. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT, PROPERTY OR LIVESTOCK AND NO INJURIES. I WALKED 1 MI TO HWY AND CAUGHT A RIDE TO MY HANGAR TO GET GND TRANSPORTATION TO HAUL FUEL TO ACFT. RETURNED TO ACFT AFTER DARK AND FOUND 3 POLICE VEHS ON SCENE. ASSISTED THEM WITH THEIR RPT AND THEY SUGGESTED I TAKE OFF AS SOON AS REFUELING WAS COMPLETE. I DECLINED FOR OBVIOUS SAFETY REASONS. RETURNED NEXT MORNING, TOOK OFF W/O INCIDENT AND FLEW TO COALINGA. CHKED AUX FUEL SYS WHICH HAD 10 GALS FUEL REMAINING. FUEL FILTER WAS CLEAN AND FUEL FLOW AS NORMAL. NOTED THAT PUMP OPERATION WAS ERRATIC WHEN THE PUSH-PULL SWITCH WAS TWISTED SLIGHTLY. REMOVED THE SWITCH AND VERIFIED THE ERRATIC OPERATION WITH AN OHMMETER. DISASSEMBLED SWITCH AND FOUND CONTACTS VERY PITTED AND BURNED. CONCLUSIONS: 1) USE FUEL THAT IS DEPENDENT ON A PUMP FIRST, SAVING GRAVITY FED FUEL FOR FINAL PHASE OF FLT AND RESERVE. 2) PROVIDE METHOD OF DETERMINING IF PWR IS BEING SUPPLIED TO AN ELECTRIC PUMP. EITHER A LIGHTED SWITCH OR AN INDICATING LIGHT WOULD SUFFICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE AN A&P LICENSE. HE SAID THE FAA RAMP CHKED HIM AFTER THE INCIDENT AND THAT HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THEM STATING THAT THEY ARE PLANNING ACTION AGAINST HIM. HE SAID HE DID IT, AND HE HAS NO DEFENSE. HE ENTERED THE WORK HE HAD DONE IN THE ACFT LOG BOOK.

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.