Narrative:

I have never sent one of these in before so hope that the following is what I am supposed to do. I am in contact with our local FSDO, and they are handling this as an incident at this time. I was on a search mission for a boat that had broken loose from its mooring and was drifting somewhere in the santa barbara channel, within the shipping lanes. I am a flight instructor at a local flight school and was asked by the owner to do the flight. I contacted the party involved, and received directions where to look and a description of the boat along with a contact person who could relay information from platform harvest while I was out there. I chose an small aircraft aircraft that had a decent reputation for dependability along with 2 radios. I did an extra careful preflight which was observed by another instructor at the school. The fuel tanks, as I recall, were about 1/2 inch from the top of the filler neck. I viewed this as full and made no mental note to the contrary. Also, fuel was dripping out of the fuel vent line from the left tank. I took along 2 life vests and my flight bag. I had 2 sectionals along with a plotter and E6B. Immediately after startup I wrote my time down, had a normal runup and departed. I maintained 1500 ft due to the ceiling but also had planned on this as a final due to the suggestion that this would be a good altitude to work at. I figured that where I was going another 1000 ft or so would not matter as I was going to be way beyond glide distance anyway. At the point of level-off, I set the power for 75% (on the tach there's a line for sea level, 5000, and 10000 ft) then I leaned the mixture according to the pilot's operating handbook, although it recommends doing it above 3000 ft. I decided this would not hurt the engine and operation seemed normal. My whole problem now is what kind of time can I spend out there. I used the pilot's operating handbook to come up with my endurance. The cruise performance charts start at 2000 ft, so I couldn't come up with a real accurate fuel burn, so I used the endurancecharts. I interpolated that, at sea level, I would have 3 hours and 25 mins and then a 45 min reserve. I was heading home and about 5 mi offshore, when I started running out of fuel. I didn't realize that it doesn't just quit. Anyway, by pumping the throttle and mixture while rocking the wings I was able to get it to shore, at which time I was about 50 ft. I paralleled the shore line (it was low tide) and picked a spot and set it down. After I came to a stop, I looked at my watch and wrote the time down, which is exactly 3 hours and 8 mins from startup. I was about 12 to 15 mins from home. The landing was uneventful except the propeller did strike the sand as it was windmilling when the nosewheel sank in some soft sand at the end of the gndroll. 1 blade was bent moderately and the other barely. The next day, a new propeller was put on, fuel put in and it was flow off the beach (FSDO permission). Factors: I have not mentioned the fuel gauges, with full tanks, the left one always reads half full. This type of accuracy does not instill a lot of confidence. Also, I was sitting in the right seat (I have more right seat time and feel more comfortable there) which doesn't afford the best angle to view the gauges. From where I was sitting, they read empty for a long time, you can though, very easily, lean over and see. Then you get into the discussion of when does it really read empty. At the time of landing, the left gauge needle matched the line, the right gauge still had a gap. There's a possibility that the tanks were not completely full. Who knows? They were as I mentioned earlier. I set the power for 75%, which doesn't' mean I was getting it. I leaned the mixture, maybe that had something to do with it. In talking with the instructor that flew the plane home after purchase, he said that after a 3.2 hour flight, he had 1 gallon of fuel left. Maybe there's something wrong with the carburetor and the fuel burns aren't right. Finally, in reviewing the performance charts, I have some confusion due to the fact that, for thesame engine, you have different cruise performance and range/endurance charts. Also, there is a 108 hp and 110 hp engine. I used the one in the plane and am assuming it's right. Conclusion: I took a plane that I was unfamiliar with as far as fuel burn goes and planned to take it to its posted endurance, I didn't make it -- complacency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT OF SMA ACFT MADE A FORCED LNDG AFTER RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AT THE END OF AN OVERWATER SEARCH MISSION. THERE WAS ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT DURING THE BEACH FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I HAVE NEVER SENT ONE OF THESE IN BEFORE SO HOPE THAT THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO. I AM IN CONTACT WITH OUR LCL FSDO, AND THEY ARE HANDLING THIS AS AN INCIDENT AT THIS TIME. I WAS ON A SEARCH MISSION FOR A BOAT THAT HAD BROKEN LOOSE FROM ITS MOORING AND WAS DRIFTING SOMEWHERE IN THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL, WITHIN THE SHIPPING LANES. I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR AT A LCL FLT SCHOOL AND WAS ASKED BY THE OWNER TO DO THE FLT. I CONTACTED THE PARTY INVOLVED, AND RECEIVED DIRECTIONS WHERE TO LOOK AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE BOAT ALONG WITH A CONTACT PERSON WHO COULD RELAY INFO FROM PLATFORM HARVEST WHILE I WAS OUT THERE. I CHOSE AN SMA ACFT THAT HAD A DECENT REPUTATION FOR DEPENDABILITY ALONG WITH 2 RADIOS. I DID AN EXTRA CAREFUL PREFLT WHICH WAS OBSERVED BY ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR AT THE SCHOOL. THE FUEL TANKS, AS I RECALL, WERE ABOUT 1/2 INCH FROM THE TOP OF THE FILLER NECK. I VIEWED THIS AS FULL AND MADE NO MENTAL NOTE TO THE CONTRARY. ALSO, FUEL WAS DRIPPING OUT OF THE FUEL VENT LINE FROM THE L TANK. I TOOK ALONG 2 LIFE VESTS AND MY FLT BAG. I HAD 2 SECTIONALS ALONG WITH A PLOTTER AND E6B. IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTUP I WROTE MY TIME DOWN, HAD A NORMAL RUNUP AND DEPARTED. I MAINTAINED 1500 FT DUE TO THE CEILING BUT ALSO HAD PLANNED ON THIS AS A FINAL DUE TO THE SUGGESTION THAT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD ALT TO WORK AT. I FIGURED THAT WHERE I WAS GOING ANOTHER 1000 FT OR SO WOULD NOT MATTER AS I WAS GOING TO BE WAY BEYOND GLIDE DISTANCE ANYWAY. AT THE POINT OF LEVEL-OFF, I SET THE PWR FOR 75% (ON THE TACH THERE'S A LINE FOR SEA LEVEL, 5000, AND 10000 FT) THEN I LEANED THE MIXTURE ACCORDING TO THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, ALTHOUGH IT RECOMMENDS DOING IT ABOVE 3000 FT. I DECIDED THIS WOULD NOT HURT THE ENG AND OP SEEMED NORMAL. MY WHOLE PROBLEM NOW IS WHAT KIND OF TIME CAN I SPEND OUT THERE. I USED THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK TO COME UP WITH MY ENDURANCE. THE CRUISE PERFORMANCE CHARTS START AT 2000 FT, SO I COULDN'T COME UP WITH A REAL ACCURATE FUEL BURN, SO I USED THE ENDURANCECHARTS. I INTERPOLATED THAT, AT SEA LEVEL, I WOULD HAVE 3 HRS AND 25 MINS AND THEN A 45 MIN RESERVE. I WAS HEADING HOME AND ABOUT 5 MI OFFSHORE, WHEN I STARTED RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT DOESN'T JUST QUIT. ANYWAY, BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE WHILE ROCKING THE WINGS I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO SHORE, AT WHICH TIME I WAS ABOUT 50 FT. I PARALLELED THE SHORE LINE (IT WAS LOW TIDE) AND PICKED A SPOT AND SET IT DOWN. AFTER I CAME TO A STOP, I LOOKED AT MY WATCH AND WROTE THE TIME DOWN, WHICH IS EXACTLY 3 HRS AND 8 MINS FROM STARTUP. I WAS ABOUT 12 TO 15 MINS FROM HOME. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT THE PROP DID STRIKE THE SAND AS IT WAS WINDMILLING WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL SANK IN SOME SOFT SAND AT THE END OF THE GNDROLL. 1 BLADE WAS BENT MODERATELY AND THE OTHER BARELY. THE NEXT DAY, A NEW PROP WAS PUT ON, FUEL PUT IN AND IT WAS FLOW OFF THE BEACH (FSDO PERMISSION). FACTORS: I HAVE NOT MENTIONED THE FUEL GAUGES, WITH FULL TANKS, THE L ONE ALWAYS READS HALF FULL. THIS TYPE OF ACCURACY DOES NOT INSTILL A LOT OF CONFIDENCE. ALSO, I WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT (I HAVE MORE R SEAT TIME AND FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE THERE) WHICH DOESN'T AFFORD THE BEST ANGLE TO VIEW THE GAUGES. FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING, THEY READ EMPTY FOR A LONG TIME, YOU CAN THOUGH, VERY EASILY, LEAN OVER AND SEE. THEN YOU GET INTO THE DISCUSSION OF WHEN DOES IT REALLY READ EMPTY. AT THE TIME OF LNDG, THE L GAUGE NEEDLE MATCHED THE LINE, THE R GAUGE STILL HAD A GAP. THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THE TANKS WERE NOT COMPLETELY FULL. WHO KNOWS? THEY WERE AS I MENTIONED EARLIER. I SET THE PWR FOR 75%, WHICH DOESN'T' MEAN I WAS GETTING IT. I LEANED THE MIXTURE, MAYBE THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. IN TALKING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR THAT FLEW THE PLANE HOME AFTER PURCHASE, HE SAID THAT AFTER A 3.2 HR FLT, HE HAD 1 GALLON OF FUEL LEFT. MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CARB AND THE FUEL BURNS AREN'T RIGHT. FINALLY, IN REVIEWING THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS, I HAVE SOME CONFUSION DUE TO THE FACT THAT, FOR THESAME ENG, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT CRUISE PERFORMANCE AND RANGE/ENDURANCE CHARTS. ALSO, THERE IS A 108 HP AND 110 HP ENG. I USED THE ONE IN THE PLANE AND AM ASSUMING IT'S RIGHT. CONCLUSION: I TOOK A PLANE THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH AS FAR AS FUEL BURN GOES AND PLANNED TO TAKE IT TO ITS POSTED ENDURANCE, I DIDN'T MAKE IT -- COMPLACENCY.

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.