Narrative:

I picked up the pipeline north of rhinelander approximately at mile post 450 and continued east patrolling the pipeline. I made a stop at pellston to use the restroom. I departed pellston continuing down the line to the end and stopped at detroit city. I then left detroit and proceeded north following the pipeline. My intentions were to land at pellston for fuel and check the WX, and continue on to rhinelander. As I got within radio range, I called pellston unicom and was told that the WX was 500 ft and 1-1/2 mi visibility, so I turned back toward gaylord, which is about 8 mi southeast of where I was. I called gaylord unicom for an advisory. At this time the man on duty asked me if I needed fuel and I said 'yes.' he informed me that they were out of 100LL fuel. I continued my approach and landed. I wanted to get the latest WX so I waited until after the hour to call flight service. While on the ground at gaylord, I called manistique airport to see what the WX was like there, but there was no answer. When I left gaylord, I proceeded north and east so I would stay out of the pellston control zone. When I crossed the lake, the WX was 1500-1600 ft and 15 mi visibility. As I crossed the upper peninsula of michigan there were some light snow showers at times. The rest of the time was good VFR WX. When the engine quit, I looked down at the fuel gauges and saw that they were both showing empty. I'm sure the selector valve was on both. By this time, all you have time to do is pick a field and land. I can remember telling myself to 'leave the gear up, leave the gear up' because I knew the snow was deep and if the gear were down, the aircraft would nose-over and end up on it's back. After the aircraft stopped, I remember shutting off the switches and getting out the passenger door because the aircraft was tipped with the left wing low. I walked to the nearest house. I called the FAA in grand rapids and talked to an inspector and explained what had occurred, and answered his questions. In summary, with the normal fuel use, I figure that at gaylord I had 81 gallons of fuel used up, which would leave about 34 gallons usable fuel remaining. I feel there should have been about 17 gallons of fuel left when the engine quit. Aircraft total fuel is 120 gals. Also, when aircraft was removed from landing site remaining fuel was measured by the FAA grand rapids office and found to be 17.8 gallons.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT ON PIPELINE PATROL MAKES FORCED LNDG AFTER ENG QUITS.

Narrative: I PICKED UP THE PIPELINE N OF RHINELANDER APPROX AT MILE POST 450 AND CONTINUED E PATROLLING THE PIPELINE. I MADE A STOP AT PELLSTON TO USE THE RESTROOM. I DEPARTED PELLSTON CONTINUING DOWN THE LINE TO THE END AND STOPPED AT DETROIT CITY. I THEN LEFT DETROIT AND PROCEEDED N FOLLOWING THE PIPELINE. MY INTENTIONS WERE TO LAND AT PELLSTON FOR FUEL AND CHK THE WX, AND CONTINUE ON TO RHINELANDER. AS I GOT WITHIN RADIO RANGE, I CALLED PELLSTON UNICOM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WX WAS 500 FT AND 1-1/2 MI VISIBILITY, SO I TURNED BACK TOWARD GAYLORD, WHICH IS ABOUT 8 MI SE OF WHERE I WAS. I CALLED GAYLORD UNICOM FOR AN ADVISORY. AT THIS TIME THE MAN ON DUTY ASKED ME IF I NEEDED FUEL AND I SAID 'YES.' HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE OUT OF 100LL FUEL. I CONTINUED MY APCH AND LANDED. I WANTED TO GET THE LATEST WX SO I WAITED UNTIL AFTER THE HOUR TO CALL FLT SVC. WHILE ON THE GND AT GAYLORD, I CALLED MANISTIQUE ARPT TO SEE WHAT THE WX WAS LIKE THERE, BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER. WHEN I LEFT GAYLORD, I PROCEEDED N AND E SO I WOULD STAY OUT OF THE PELLSTON CTL ZONE. WHEN I CROSSED THE LAKE, THE WX WAS 1500-1600 FT AND 15 MI VISIBILITY. AS I CROSSED THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN THERE WERE SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AT TIMES. THE REST OF THE TIME WAS GOOD VFR WX. WHEN THE ENG QUIT, I LOOKED DOWN AT THE FUEL GAUGES AND SAW THAT THEY WERE BOTH SHOWING EMPTY. I'M SURE THE SELECTOR VALVE WAS ON BOTH. BY THIS TIME, ALL YOU HAVE TIME TO DO IS PICK A FIELD AND LAND. I CAN REMEMBER TELLING MYSELF TO 'LEAVE THE GEAR UP, LEAVE THE GEAR UP' BECAUSE I KNEW THE SNOW WAS DEEP AND IF THE GEAR WERE DOWN, THE ACFT WOULD NOSE-OVER AND END UP ON IT'S BACK. AFTER THE ACFT STOPPED, I REMEMBER SHUTTING OFF THE SWITCHES AND GETTING OUT THE PAX DOOR BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS TIPPED WITH THE L WING LOW. I WALKED TO THE NEAREST HOUSE. I CALLED THE FAA IN GRAND RAPIDS AND TALKED TO AN INSPECTOR AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD OCCURRED, AND ANSWERED HIS QUESTIONS. IN SUMMARY, WITH THE NORMAL FUEL USE, I FIGURE THAT AT GAYLORD I HAD 81 GALLONS OF FUEL USED UP, WHICH WOULD LEAVE ABOUT 34 GALLONS USABLE FUEL REMAINING. I FEEL THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 17 GALLONS OF FUEL LEFT WHEN THE ENG QUIT. ACFT TOTAL FUEL IS 120 GALS. ALSO, WHEN ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM LNDG SITE REMAINING FUEL WAS MEASURED BY THE FAA GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE AND FOUND TO BE 17.8 GALLONS.

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.