Narrative:

*On preflight reporter noted fuel approximately 1' down from top. Calculated 3 hours, 20 mins fuel for a 2 hour, 16 mins flight. Stronger than forecast winds and rerouting by ATC and turbulence caused higher than planned fuel burnout. Assigned 10000' cruise in heavy rain near freezing temperatures. Fuel reserve was dwindling. Requested 8000' for cruise using carburetor heat. Requested vectors to a nearby airport and received vectors to salinas. Engine began running rough. Declared an emergency squawking 7700 and asked for vectors to nearest airport. ZOA responded with vectors to hollister. Engine smoothed out and headed for salinas talking to monterey approach. Engine again ran rough and headed for hollister airport, still in IFR conditions. With hollister airport 5 mi distant, engine quit. Became ground contact at 3700'. Finally saw the airport and landed with dead engine. Cause of engine failure: fuel starvation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE QUITE BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION. EMERGENCY DECLARED. FORCED LNDG AT HOLLISTER, CA.

Narrative: *ON PREFLT RPTR NOTED FUEL APPROX 1' DOWN FROM TOP. CALCULATED 3 HRS, 20 MINS FUEL FOR A 2 HR, 16 MINS FLT. STRONGER THAN FORECAST WINDS AND REROUTING BY ATC AND TURB CAUSED HIGHER THAN PLANNED FUEL BURNOUT. ASSIGNED 10000' CRUISE IN HEAVY RAIN NEAR FREEZING TEMPS. FUEL RESERVE WAS DWINDLING. REQUESTED 8000' FOR CRUISE USING CARB HEAT. REQUESTED VECTORS TO A NEARBY ARPT AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO SALINAS. ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. DECLARED AN EMER SQUAWKING 7700 AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO NEAREST ARPT. ZOA RESPONDED WITH VECTORS TO HOLLISTER. ENG SMOOTHED OUT AND HEADED FOR SALINAS TALKING TO MONTEREY APCH. ENG AGAIN RAN ROUGH AND HEADED FOR HOLLISTER ARPT, STILL IN IFR CONDITIONS. WITH HOLLISTER ARPT 5 MI DISTANT, ENG QUIT. BECAME GND CONTACT AT 3700'. FINALLY SAW THE ARPT AND LANDED WITH DEAD ENG. CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE: FUEL STARVATION.

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.