Narrative:

Before I departed from gallatin, tn, I called FSS to check WX en route. They were reporting at that time in nashville, tn. The tops of the clouds were at 3400 ft and athens was reporting 2900 ft scattered and that aug was reporting 9500 ft scattered to broken with improving conditions throughout my flight path. I departed gallatin knowing that I had enough fuel to get to aug with my 30 min reserve min, so I decided to climb and fly over the top VFR. As I approached the athens VOR I determined that the WX was getting worse. I figured then that I was in trouble because at this time I had about 1 hour fuel left so I contacted anderson FSS and ask them for some assistance to get me down to aug or somewhere there was a hole. They came back and said there was no place reporting that I could get down. FSS advised me to contact aug approach control. I called aug approach control and told them my problem, they ask me where was my position. I told them I was about 30 to 40 mi from collier VOR. They asked me did I have a transponder, I told them no, they asked me to make a 90 degree turn and I did. I asked them did they have me on radar? They said no. They asked me to make another 90 degree turn. I did. They came back and gave me a heading. At this time I told them I had bout 30 mins fuel left. Aug approach kept giving me turns for another 15 mins, and then turned me over to ZTL. ZTL did all they could do for me and some. What I am concerned about is that, if I was only 30 to 40 mi away from aug, why wasn't I vectored towards them or to someone closer instead of being turned over to atlanta and vectored to washington, wilkes airport where I was forced to land in a field after using all my fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT RUNS OUT OF GAS DURING AN ATTEMPTED FLT ASSIST AND MAKES AN EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG. FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: BEFORE I DEPARTED FROM GALLATIN, TN, I CALLED FSS TO CHK WX ENRTE. THEY WERE RPTING AT THAT TIME IN NASHVILLE, TN. THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS WERE AT 3400 FT AND ATHENS WAS RPTING 2900 FT SCATTERED AND THAT AUG WAS RPTING 9500 FT SCATTERED TO BROKEN WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT MY FLT PATH. I DEPARTED GALLATIN KNOWING THAT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO AUG WITH MY 30 MIN RESERVE MIN, SO I DECIDED TO CLB AND FLY OVER THE TOP VFR. AS I APCHED THE ATHENS VOR I DETERMINED THAT THE WX WAS GETTING WORSE. I FIGURED THEN THAT I WAS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE AT THIS TIME I HAD ABOUT 1 HR FUEL LEFT SO I CONTACTED ANDERSON FSS AND ASK THEM FOR SOME ASSISTANCE TO GET ME DOWN TO AUG OR SOMEWHERE THERE WAS A HOLE. THEY CAME BACK AND SAID THERE WAS NO PLACE RPTING THAT I COULD GET DOWN. FSS ADVISED ME TO CONTACT AUG APCH CTL. I CALLED AUG APCH CTL AND TOLD THEM MY PROBLEM, THEY ASK ME WHERE WAS MY POS. I TOLD THEM I WAS ABOUT 30 TO 40 MI FROM COLLIER VOR. THEY ASKED ME DID I HAVE A TRANSPONDER, I TOLD THEM NO, THEY ASKED ME TO MAKE A 90 DEG TURN AND I DID. I ASKED THEM DID THEY HAVE ME ON RADAR? THEY SAID NO. THEY ASKED ME TO MAKE ANOTHER 90 DEG TURN. I DID. THEY CAME BACK AND GAVE ME A HDG. AT THIS TIME I TOLD THEM I HAD BOUT 30 MINS FUEL LEFT. AUG APCH KEPT GIVING ME TURNS FOR ANOTHER 15 MINS, AND THEN TURNED ME OVER TO ZTL. ZTL DID ALL THEY COULD DO FOR ME AND SOME. WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT, IF I WAS ONLY 30 TO 40 MI AWAY FROM AUG, WHY WASN'T I VECTORED TOWARDS THEM OR TO SOMEONE CLOSER INSTEAD OF BEING TURNED OVER TO ATLANTA AND VECTORED TO WASHINGTON, WILKES ARPT WHERE I WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A FIELD AFTER USING ALL MY FUEL.

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.