Narrative:

On the morning of MM/dd/92, B, C and I departed apa en route U07, with a planned refueling stop in 6v6. My calibrated dipstick indicated about 32 gallons of fuel on board when we departed apa. This was consistent with the fuel top- off done by co, on MM/dd/92 (see enclosed receipt) and the 3.1 hours of dual flight instruction I logged with my instructor D on MM/dd and MM/dd. I navigated via LORAN directly to salida and crossed monarch pass. After flying for 1.7 hobbs hours, we landed at 6v6. With my 165 flight hours in this particular airplane, I have noticed that there is a definite xfeed between the 2 fuel tanks. I estimated that the flight from apa to 6v6 had consumed some 17 gallons of fuel, and I instructed the fuel man to put 5 gallons in the left tank and 10 gallons in the right tank to even out the wings. Upon checking the fuel level before departing for bullfrog basin, I observed that the dipstick showed just above the 15 gallon mark for each tank. I remarked to B we had 15 gallons in each tank, and that 'I had figured that one out exactly right.' we then flew via LORAN directly to U07. The flight took .9 hobbs hours with an average gndspd of 125 KTS, again due to a southwest headwind. After spending the night at bullfrog basin, we returned to the aircraft at about XX00 am. During the preflight, I observed the fuel level in the left tank to be at the 15 gallon mark, and the right tank at the 7 gallon mark for a total of 22 gallons. This corresponded with the approximately 9 gallons I had expected to burn from 6v6 to U07 the day before. I calculated the leg from U07 to guc to be 190 NM via LORAN direct. At the planned 140 KTS cruise, I planned for a 1.4 hour flight. With the 22 gallons on board, I expected to land in gunnison with no less than 8 gallons (45 mins) of reserve and refuel. After departing U07, I noticed that our gndspd was improved by a strong southwest tailwind, and was consistently between 150 and 160 KTS. After flying for about 1.2 hours, we were approximately 20 NM west of guc when the engine suddenly lost power. I immediately increased back pressure on the elevator, gaining several hundred ft, and trimmed the aircraft for about a 75 KIAS glide. I increased the mixture, turned on the electric fuel pump, and verified that my fuel selector valve was on both tanks. I also rocked the wings from side to side. After a brief surge of power, the engine stopped firing and the propeller began to windmill. I determined that an emergency landing was imminent. I got no response on 121.5 after 'mayday' call. I told my passengers that I was going to land the airplane, and visually checked that they had their seat belts on. I pulled back the mixture, turned off the ignition, pulled back the throttle, and put the fuel selector valve into the 'off' position. I was aware of the strong southwest wind, so I decided to commit to landing on the southwest portion of the road into the wind, with my second choice being a very rough sagebrush foothill to its west. I saw no oncoming traffic, but noted that traffic in my direction was approaching the touchdown zone. I turned a base leg to the road while keeping the airspeed up to avoid a stall/spin. I lowered the landing gear, lowered the flaps, and overtook the traffic while maneuvering to align the aircraft with the road. I noticed the power lines and poles to my right, but none were crossing the road. We touched down, and upon roll out, the right landing gear caught the soft gravel shoulder of the highway and caused us to gndloop into a ditch. C, B and I then exited the airplane. We all agreed that none of us had been injured, and we proceeded to receive assistance from passersby. I observed one bystander removing the fuel caps and peering down into the tanks, at which point I told him to leave the aircraft alone until the authorities arrived. The aircraft sustained damage to the wing tips, stabilator, and nose gear. The fuselage, tail, propeller, and engine were all intact. At this time, the cause of the engine failure is still unknown. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The private pilot reporter stated that the FAA determined that he had run out of fuel, butthey were unable to determine where the fuel had gone. Apparently his preflight planning was very good. And his fuel usage in the air on the first day was as expected. There may have been a leak at the fuel sump, and the fuel drain bracket was broken allowing the drain valve to bounce around inside the cowling. The insurance company 'wrote off' the airplane. The pilot received 4 hours ground school as a sanction. The engine ran well after the accident. The pilot was able to prove to the FAA investigator, by fuel receipts, that he had put in enough fuel for the planned flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT IN AN SMA WITH 2 PAXS RAN OUT OF FUEL AND HAD TO LAND IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF MM/DD/92, B, C AND I DEPARTED APA ENRTE U07, WITH A PLANNED REFUELING STOP IN 6V6. MY CALIBRATED DIPSTICK INDICATED ABOUT 32 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN WE DEPARTED APA. THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE FUEL TOP- OFF DONE BY CO, ON MM/DD/92 (SEE ENCLOSED RECEIPT) AND THE 3.1 HOURS OF DUAL FLT INSTRUCTION I LOGGED WITH MY INSTRUCTOR D ON MM/DD AND MM/DD. I NAVIGATED VIA LORAN DIRECTLY TO SALIDA AND CROSSED MONARCH PASS. AFTER FLYING FOR 1.7 HOBBS HOURS, WE LANDED AT 6V6. WITH MY 165 FLT HOURS IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE XFEED BTWN THE 2 FUEL TANKS. I ESTIMATED THAT THE FLT FROM APA TO 6V6 HAD CONSUMED SOME 17 GALLONS OF FUEL, AND I INSTRUCTED THE FUEL MAN TO PUT 5 GALLONS IN THE L TANK AND 10 GALLONS IN THE R TANK TO EVEN OUT THE WINGS. UPON CHKING THE FUEL LEVEL BEFORE DEPARTING FOR BULLFROG BASIN, I OBSERVED THAT THE DIPSTICK SHOWED JUST ABOVE THE 15 GALLON MARK FOR EACH TANK. I REMARKED TO B WE HAD 15 GALLONS IN EACH TANK, AND THAT 'I HAD FIGURED THAT ONE OUT EXACTLY RIGHT.' WE THEN FLEW VIA LORAN DIRECTLY TO U07. THE FLT TOOK .9 HOBBS HOURS WITH AN AVERAGE GNDSPD OF 125 KTS, AGAIN DUE TO A SW HEADWIND. AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT AT BULLFROG BASIN, WE RETURNED TO THE ACFT AT ABOUT XX00 AM. DURING THE PREFLT, I OBSERVED THE FUEL LEVEL IN THE L TANK TO BE AT THE 15 GALLON MARK, AND THE R TANK AT THE 7 GALLON MARK FOR A TOTAL OF 22 GALLONS. THIS CORRESPONDED WITH THE APPROX 9 GALLONS I HAD EXPECTED TO BURN FROM 6V6 TO U07 THE DAY BEFORE. I CALCULATED THE LEG FROM U07 TO GUC TO BE 190 NM VIA LORAN DIRECT. AT THE PLANNED 140 KTS CRUISE, I PLANNED FOR A 1.4 HR FLT. WITH THE 22 GALLONS ON BOARD, I EXPECTED TO LAND IN GUNNISON WITH NO LESS THAN 8 GALLONS (45 MINS) OF RESERVE AND REFUEL. AFTER DEPARTING U07, I NOTICED THAT OUR GNDSPD WAS IMPROVED BY A STRONG SW TAILWIND, AND WAS CONSISTENTLY BTWN 150 AND 160 KTS. AFTER FLYING FOR ABOUT 1.2 HRS, WE WERE APPROX 20 NM W OF GUC WHEN THE ENG SUDDENLY LOST PWR. I IMMEDIATELY INCREASED BACK PRESSURE ON THE ELEVATOR, GAINING SEVERAL HUNDRED FT, AND TRIMMED THE ACFT FOR ABOUT A 75 KIAS GLIDE. I INCREASED THE MIXTURE, TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, AND VERIFIED THAT MY FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ON BOTH TANKS. I ALSO ROCKED THE WINGS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. AFTER A BRIEF SURGE OF PWR, THE ENG STOPPED FIRING AND THE PROP BEGAN TO WINDMILL. I DETERMINED THAT AN EMER LNDG WAS IMMINENT. I GOT NO RESPONSE ON 121.5 AFTER 'MAYDAY' CALL. I TOLD MY PAXS THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND THE AIRPLANE, AND VISUALLY CHKED THAT THEY HAD THEIR SEAT BELTS ON. I PULLED BACK THE MIXTURE, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE, AND PUT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE INTO THE 'OFF' POS. I WAS AWARE OF THE STRONG SW WIND, SO I DECIDED TO COMMIT TO LNDG ON THE SW PORTION OF THE ROAD INTO THE WIND, WITH MY SECOND CHOICE BEING A VERY ROUGH SAGEBRUSH FOOTHILL TO ITS W. I SAW NO ONCOMING TFC, BUT NOTED THAT TFC IN MY DIRECTION WAS APCHING THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I TURNED A BASE LEG TO THE ROAD WHILE KEEPING THE AIRSPD UP TO AVOID A STALL/SPIN. I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR, LOWERED THE FLAPS, AND OVERTOOK THE TFC WHILE MANEUVERING TO ALIGN THE ACFT WITH THE ROAD. I NOTICED THE PWR LINES AND POLES TO MY R, BUT NONE WERE XING THE ROAD. WE TOUCHED DOWN, AND UPON ROLL OUT, THE R LNDG GEAR CAUGHT THE SOFT GRAVEL SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSED US TO GNDLOOP INTO A DITCH. C, B AND I THEN EXITED THE AIRPLANE. WE ALL AGREED THAT NONE OF US HAD BEEN INJURED, AND WE PROCEEDED TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM PASSERSBY. I OBSERVED ONE BYSTANDER REMOVING THE FUEL CAPS AND PEERING DOWN INTO THE TANKS, AT WHICH POINT I TOLD HIM TO LEAVE THE ACFT ALONE UNTIL THE AUTHORITIES ARRIVED. THE ACFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE WING TIPS, STABILATOR, AND NOSE GEAR. THE FUSELAGE, TAIL, PROP, AND ENG WERE ALL INTACT. AT THIS TIME, THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE IS STILL UNKNOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE PVT PLT RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA DETERMINED THAT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL, BUTTHEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE FUEL HAD GONE. APPARENTLY HIS PREFLT PLANNING WAS VERY GOOD. AND HIS FUEL USAGE IN THE AIR ON THE FIRST DAY WAS AS EXPECTED. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LEAK AT THE FUEL SUMP, AND THE FUEL DRAIN BRACKET WAS BROKEN ALLOWING THE DRAIN VALVE TO BOUNCE AROUND INSIDE THE COWLING. THE INSURANCE COMPANY 'WROTE OFF' THE AIRPLANE. THE PLT RECEIVED 4 HOURS GND SCHOOL AS A SANCTION. THE ENG RAN WELL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO PROVE TO THE FAA INVESTIGATOR, BY FUEL RECEIPTS, THAT HE HAD PUT IN ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE PLANNED FLT.

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.