Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight in mostly VMC conditions, from kissimmee, fl, to mcn at 5000 ft. Between ifm and vna on v- 579 my fuel gauges appeared to show low fuel. I recalculated my time en route and fuel use and realized it would be very tight for me to get to mcn. After talking to mcn approach who told me to descend to 3000 ft, I advised them of my low fuel situation and requested to be diverted to the perry-ft valley, GA, airport. Approach gave me vectors and told me I could stay at 3000 and descend at pilot's discretion. 2-3 mi before reaching perry the engine quit. Having enough altitude, I made an uneventful landing and taxied the airplane into the grass so I didn't block the runway. I closed the flight plan from the ground. The aircraft was fueled and I took off and flew to mcn as my intermediate stop to cha and tys. Backgnd: during the last annual in june, the aircraft got 2 new cylinders and the propeller was overhauled and repitched. During the flight the TAS was calculated repeatedly in mph and the airplane engine was flown rich for adequate cooling of the new cylinders. The combination of poor fuel use calculation, using TAS in mph instead of KTS, and increased fuel consumption due to purposely not leaning the mixture caused the fuel to decrease much faster as expected. The main factor in this incident was the poor flight planing. Even if the aircraft's performance tables are in mph I should have known, that IFR maps give distances in KTS. Also the increased fuel use due to the failure to lean should have been taken into consideration.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN FINDS FUEL LOW. REALIZES UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO DEST. REQUESTS DIVERT TO ARPT WITHIN 10 MI. ENG QUITS AT 3 MI FROM ARPT. GLIDES TO RWY.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT IN MOSTLY VMC CONDITIONS, FROM KISSIMMEE, FL, TO MCN AT 5000 FT. BTWN IFM AND VNA ON V- 579 MY FUEL GAUGES APPEARED TO SHOW LOW FUEL. I RECALCULATED MY TIME ENRTE AND FUEL USE AND REALIZED IT WOULD BE VERY TIGHT FOR ME TO GET TO MCN. AFTER TALKING TO MCN APCH WHO TOLD ME TO DSND TO 3000 FT, I ADVISED THEM OF MY LOW FUEL SITUATION AND REQUESTED TO BE DIVERTED TO THE PERRY-FT VALLEY, GA, ARPT. APCH GAVE ME VECTORS AND TOLD ME I COULD STAY AT 3000 AND DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION. 2-3 MI BEFORE REACHING PERRY THE ENG QUIT. HAVING ENOUGH ALT, I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXIED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE GRASS SO I DIDN'T BLOCK THE RWY. I CLOSED THE FLT PLAN FROM THE GND. THE ACFT WAS FUELED AND I TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO MCN AS MY INTERMEDIATE STOP TO CHA AND TYS. BACKGND: DURING THE LAST ANNUAL IN JUNE, THE ACFT GOT 2 NEW CYLINDERS AND THE PROP WAS OVERHAULED AND REPITCHED. DURING THE FLT THE TAS WAS CALCULATED REPEATEDLY IN MPH AND THE AIRPLANE ENG WAS FLOWN RICH FOR ADEQUATE COOLING OF THE NEW CYLINDERS. THE COMBINATION OF POOR FUEL USE CALCULATION, USING TAS IN MPH INSTEAD OF KTS, AND INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION DUE TO PURPOSELY NOT LEANING THE MIXTURE CAUSED THE FUEL TO DECREASE MUCH FASTER AS EXPECTED. THE MAIN FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE POOR FLT PLANING. EVEN IF THE ACFT'S PERFORMANCE TABLES ARE IN MPH I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THAT IFR MAPS GIVE DISTANCES IN KTS. ALSO THE INCREASED FUEL USE DUE TO THE FAILURE TO LEAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

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.