Small aircraft experiences fuel exhaustion at entry to downwind. Dead stick landing.

Attributes
ACN	223648
Time
Date	199210
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o18
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	223648
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft ran out of gas approaching entry to downwind. Pilot executed uneventful deadstick landing on parallel taxiway. No damage. No injury. No traffic conflict. Contributing factors: fuel quantity system intermittent. Pilot misjudged fuel remaining on preflight visual check of tank. Pilot did not ensure safe fuel margin by topping off prior to flight. Aggravating factors: replacement parts for fuel quantity system no longer manufactured. Used svcable replacement parts not readily available. Pilot fatigue, pilot had flown 3 nights preceding in tactical jet using night vision goggles, shifted circadian rhythm. What's the solution? Don't fly tired! Makes for poor decision making. Develop source of replacement parts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION AT ENTRY TO DOWNWIND. DEAD STICK LNDG.

Narrative: ACFT RAN OUT OF GAS APCHING ENTRY TO DOWNWIND. PLT EXECUTED UNEVENTFUL DEADSTICK LNDG ON PARALLEL TAXIWAY. NO DAMAGE. NO INJURY. NO TFC CONFLICT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FUEL QUANTITY SYS INTERMITTENT. PLT MISJUDGED FUEL REMAINING ON PREFLT VISUAL CHK OF TANK. PLT DID NOT ENSURE SAFE FUEL MARGIN BY TOPPING OFF PRIOR TO FLT. AGGRAVATING FACTORS: REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR FUEL QUANTITY SYS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED. USED SVCABLE REPLACEMENT PARTS NOT READILY AVAILABLE. PLT FATIGUE, PLT HAD FLOWN 3 NIGHTS PRECEDING IN TACTICAL JET USING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES, SHIFTED CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? DON'T FLY TIRED! MAKES FOR POOR DECISION MAKING. DEVELOP SOURCE OF REPLACEMENT PARTS.

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.