Emergency forced off airport landing made after small aircraft experiences fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	222695
Time
Date	199210
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 203
ASRS Report	222695
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft ran out of gas approximately 5 mi northwest of destination, while being vectored for ILS final approach. When cleared to initial approach altitude, the engine quit. The fuel gauges were reading 1/4 full (both) which corresponding to our calculations of 1 plus 08 hours of fuel remaining. The only place to land was a private road inside of gravel pit. We informed miami approach of our situation and proceeded with an emergency landing without power. My copilot and I are both commercial instructor pilots and we both kept very accurate flight logs. We both checked our fuel supply prior to takeoff and the tanks were completely full. We believe that the left fuel tank had an undetected leak and the corresponding gauge was inaccurate. We did not notice the leak on preflight since it was raining. Also we believe that the engine was not burning the published fuel flow. Although the engine was leaned according to operations handbook with the egt the engine might have been burning richer than indicative in poh. The aircraft and the occupants were both unharmed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG MADE AFTER SMA EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: THE ACFT RAN OUT OF GAS APPROX 5 MI NW OF DEST, WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR ILS FINAL APCH. WHEN CLRED TO INITIAL APCH ALT, THE ENG QUIT. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE READING 1/4 FULL (BOTH) WHICH CORRESPONDING TO OUR CALCULATIONS OF 1 PLUS 08 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE ONLY PLACE TO LAND WAS A PRIVATE ROAD INSIDE OF GRAVEL PIT. WE INFORMED MIAMI APCH OF OUR SITUATION AND PROCEEDED WITH AN EMER LNDG WITHOUT PWR. MY COPLT AND I ARE BOTH COMMERCIAL INSTRUCTOR PLTS AND WE BOTH KEPT VERY ACCURATE FLT LOGS. WE BOTH CHKED OUR FUEL SUPPLY PRIOR TO TKOF AND THE TANKS WERE COMPLETELY FULL. WE BELIEVE THAT THE L FUEL TANK HAD AN UNDETECTED LEAK AND THE CORRESPONDING GAUGE WAS INACCURATE. WE DID NOT NOTICE THE LEAK ON PREFLT SINCE IT WAS RAINING. ALSO WE BELIEVE THAT THE ENG WAS NOT BURNING THE PUBLISHED FUEL FLOW. ALTHOUGH THE ENG WAS LEANED ACCORDING TO OPS HANDBOOK WITH THE EGT THE ENG MIGHT HAVE BEEN BURNING RICHER THAN INDICATIVE IN POH. THE ACFT AND THE OCCUPANTS WERE BOTH UNHARMED.

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.