Narrative:

Fuel starvation occurred after a left base entry for runway 29 was approved by ATC. According to my meter after the forced landing in a pasture, total time en route was 3 hours and 48 mins from calexico to san luis obispo. My flight plan called for 4 hours and 40 mins fuel on board, assuming 10 gph fuel consumption. I didn't take into account flight from mexicali to calexico, so I should have subtracted 15 mins, making it 4 hours 25 mins. Perhaps I wasn't leaned to peak, refueling perhaps was not to my instructions, maybe xfeeding during fueling and/or headwinds caused higher fuel consumption. With all possible things going wrong, I still should have had enough fuel to make san luis obispo. This experience will cause all future flight planning and fuel management considerations to be scrutinized by me to a much, much finer degree. P.south. Some fuel was left in the left tank, however, that was probably unusable per airplane operations manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT IN AN SMA RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED OFF ARPT.

Narrative: FUEL STARVATION OCCURRED AFTER A L BASE ENTRY FOR RWY 29 WAS APPROVED BY ATC. ACCORDING TO MY METER AFTER THE FORCED LNDG IN A PASTURE, TOTAL TIME ENRTE WAS 3 HRS AND 48 MINS FROM CALEXICO TO SAN LUIS OBISPO. MY FLT PLAN CALLED FOR 4 HRS AND 40 MINS FUEL ON BOARD, ASSUMING 10 GPH FUEL CONSUMPTION. I DIDN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT FLT FROM MEXICALI TO CALEXICO, SO I SHOULD HAVE SUBTRACTED 15 MINS, MAKING IT 4 HRS 25 MINS. PERHAPS I WASN'T LEANED TO PEAK, REFUELING PERHAPS WAS NOT TO MY INSTRUCTIONS, MAYBE XFEEDING DURING FUELING AND/OR HEADWINDS CAUSED HIGHER FUEL CONSUMPTION. WITH ALL POSSIBLE THINGS GOING WRONG, I STILL SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE SAN LUIS OBISPO. THIS EXPERIENCE WILL CAUSE ALL FUTURE FLT PLANNING AND FUEL MGMNT CONSIDERATIONS TO BE SCRUTINIZED BY ME TO A MUCH, MUCH FINER DEGREE. P.S. SOME FUEL WAS LEFT IN THE L TANK, HOWEVER, THAT WAS PROBABLY UNUSABLE PER AIRPLANE OPS MANUAL.

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.