Narrative:

I did my preflight inspection of the airplane. A check of the fuel gauges indicated enough fuel to complete the flight under VFR, IFR, or night, with an hour's reserve. (Under existing and forecast WX). There was 100 pounds of fuel in the left tank and 205 pounds in the right tank. Maximum fuel flow is 105 pounds per hour at 2000 ft pressure altitude. I departed IFR to ugn after changing my destination to ugn. I then departed ugn to mke to pick up passenger and bring him back to mdw. Leaving mke with passenger we had 100 pounds of fuel in the left tank and a little more than 100 pounds in the right. Takeoff and climb were uneventful at about the 030 degree radial 5 NM from obk, the engine started to die out. I immediately turned towards ugn airport, which I knew was about 7 NM to the northeast. While I was turning, passenger tried to regain power by turning on the electric fuel pump, switching fuel tanks from right to left and adjusting the mixture and throttle. Seeing that we were not regaining power, I switched the fuel selector from left to right and tried to increase fuel flow by activating the electric fuel pump. Nothing worked. Passenger advised me to fly the airplane while he tried a restart. I concurred. I spotted a field off my left front and set up a glide towards it. During this time, passenger continued to work on the airplane by switching the tanks back to the left and adjusting the throttle and mixture. At about 300 ft AGL, we were committed to the field. Passenger and I decided to leave the gear up because the condition of the field was unknown to us. Passenger began securing the engine by turning off the fuel selector, the mixture, and by bringing the propeller to a low RPM setting so we may have glided further. When it was sure I could reach the field, passenger added full flaps. I also entered a forward slip and began s-turns to find the best touchdown spot and also keep us over the field. As the departure end of the field drew closer, passenger and I saw telephone lines. We felt the best course of action was to place it on the ground instead of slowing to a stall in ground effect. At touchdown, I lunged forward and grazed my nose on the control wheel. Passenger and I were uninjured. After stopping, we evacuated the aircraft due to the possibility of fire. When the threat of fire was gone, we returned to the airplane and tried to reach someone on 121.5, chicago approach (120.55), and kankakee radio (122.55). No one answered. Since we were safe and uninjured, we turned of our ELT. Which had been activated. A look down at the fuel gauge showed 100 pounds in both the left and right tanks. A visual check of fuel showed empty in the right tank and almost full in the left tank. The gauges were incorrect. We decided to look for a phone to call the FAA and the owner of the aircraft. I believe the incident would have been avoided if I had visually checked the fuel supply. Contributing factors included my being in a hurry to go to mke and not topping off the airplane. I will never trust the fuel gauges again. Note: the airplane suffered minimal propeller, cowl, and gear door damage. I consider this an incident because it doesn't fall under the aircraft accident category.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMERCIAL PLT OF SMA ACFT MADE AN EMER FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: I DID MY PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. A CHK OF THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT UNDER VFR, IFR, OR NIGHT, WITH AN HR'S RESERVE. (UNDER EXISTING AND FORECAST WX). THERE WAS 100 POUNDS OF FUEL IN THE L TANK AND 205 POUNDS IN THE R TANK. MAX FUEL FLOW IS 105 POUNDS PER HR AT 2000 FT PRESSURE ALT. I DEPARTED IFR TO UGN AFTER CHANGING MY DEST TO UGN. I THEN DEPARTED UGN TO MKE TO PICK UP PAX AND BRING HIM BACK TO MDW. LEAVING MKE WITH PAX WE HAD 100 POUNDS OF FUEL IN THE L TANK AND A LITTLE MORE THAN 100 POUNDS IN THE R. TKOF AND CLB WERE UNEVENTFUL AT ABOUT THE 030 DEG RADIAL 5 NM FROM OBK, THE ENG STARTED TO DIE OUT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARDS UGN ARPT, WHICH I KNEW WAS ABOUT 7 NM TO THE NE. WHILE I WAS TURNING, PAX TRIED TO REGAIN PWR BY TURNING ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, SWITCHING FUEL TANKS FROM R TO L AND ADJUSTING THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE. SEEING THAT WE WERE NOT REGAINING PWR, I SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM L TO R AND TRIED TO INCREASE FUEL FLOW BY ACTIVATING THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. NOTHING WORKED. PAX ADVISED ME TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WHILE HE TRIED A RESTART. I CONCURRED. I SPOTTED A FIELD OFF MY L FRONT AND SET UP A GLIDE TOWARDS IT. DURING THIS TIME, PAX CONTINUED TO WORK ON THE AIRPLANE BY SWITCHING THE TANKS BACK TO THE L AND ADJUSTING THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE. AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL, WE WERE COMMITTED TO THE FIELD. PAX AND I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE GEAR UP BECAUSE THE CONDITION OF THE FIELD WAS UNKNOWN TO US. PAX BEGAN SECURING THE ENG BY TURNING OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR, THE MIXTURE, AND BY BRINGING THE PROP TO A LOW RPM SETTING SO WE MAY HAVE GLIDED FURTHER. WHEN IT WAS SURE I COULD REACH THE FIELD, PAX ADDED FULL FLAPS. I ALSO ENTERED A FORWARD SLIP AND BEGAN S-TURNS TO FIND THE BEST TOUCHDOWN SPOT AND ALSO KEEP US OVER THE FIELD. AS THE DEP END OF THE FIELD DREW CLOSER, PAX AND I SAW TELEPHONE LINES. WE FELT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO PLACE IT ON THE GND INSTEAD OF SLOWING TO A STALL IN GND EFFECT. AT TOUCHDOWN, I LUNGED FORWARD AND GRAZED MY NOSE ON THE CTL WHEEL. PAX AND I WERE UNINJURED. AFTER STOPPING, WE EVACUATED THE ACFT DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. WHEN THE THREAT OF FIRE WAS GONE, WE RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE AND TRIED TO REACH SOMEONE ON 121.5, CHICAGO APCH (120.55), AND KANKAKEE RADIO (122.55). NO ONE ANSWERED. SINCE WE WERE SAFE AND UNINJURED, WE TURNED OF OUR ELT. WHICH HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. A LOOK DOWN AT THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED 100 POUNDS IN BOTH THE L AND R TANKS. A VISUAL CHK OF FUEL SHOWED EMPTY IN THE R TANK AND ALMOST FULL IN THE L TANK. THE GAUGES WERE INCORRECT. WE DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A PHONE TO CALL THE FAA AND THE OWNER OF THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD VISUALLY CHKED THE FUEL SUPPLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED MY BEING IN A HURRY TO GO TO MKE AND NOT TOPPING OFF THE AIRPLANE. I WILL NEVER TRUST THE FUEL GAUGES AGAIN. NOTE: THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED MINIMAL PROP, COWL, AND GEAR DOOR DAMAGE. I CONSIDER THIS AN INCIDENT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE ACFT ACCIDENT CATEGORY.

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.