Narrative:

This incident occurred on a VFR flight from lakeland, fl, to tallahassee, fl, on apr/xx/93. Aircraft flown was my small aircraft that I have owned for 4 yrs. WX was clear with 25 mi visibility, light to moderate turbulence forecasted below 10000 ft. Tlh surface wind was 330 degrees at 20 KTS with gusts. Clearance to land on runway 27 was received from tlh tower. On final approach at approximately 500 ft the engine quit. Due to the strong headwinds, I became concerned on making the runway. Not wanting to collide with the approach light system if I did land short, I elected to land on the left side of the runway. I also figured since the engine had quit why block the only open runway on the airport. The landing was uneventful. After the aircraft stopped I notified tlh tower that my engine had quit on final, that everything was fine and I was well clear of the runway and please send a tow truck. When the engine quit it acted like fuel starvation. Based on my calculations the aircraft had flown about 3 hours 30 mins and should have had at least 1 hour of fuel remaining. At the maintenance hangar the mechanic drained fuel from the main tanks as well as the carburetor proving that the engine had fuel available. We topped the aircraft off and just as I had figured the aircraft had 12 gallons of fuel remaining at the time. We ground ran the aircraft for 15 mins using all combinations of fuel tanks, etc. The aircraft ran great. The mechanic figured carburetor ice or possible water had caused the problem. I flew about 4 more hours getting home to memphis. The engine as usual ran great. I am still not totally convinced on the carburetor ice or water theory. I am now in the process of opening up the fuel bladders and checking for wrinkles or some bladder problems of that nature. Hopefully a definite reason can be found.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL STARVATION CREATES AN EMER FORCED LNDG FOR SMA PLT.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A VFR FLT FROM LAKELAND, FL, TO TALLAHASSEE, FL, ON APR/XX/93. ACFT FLOWN WAS MY SMA THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR 4 YRS. WX WAS CLR WITH 25 MI VISIBILITY, LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB FORECASTED BELOW 10000 FT. TLH SURFACE WIND WAS 330 DEGS AT 20 KTS WITH GUSTS. CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 27 WAS RECEIVED FROM TLH TWR. ON FINAL APCH AT APPROX 500 FT THE ENG QUIT. DUE TO THE STRONG HEADWINDS, I BECAME CONCERNED ON MAKING THE RWY. NOT WANTING TO COLLIDE WITH THE APCH LIGHT SYS IF I DID LAND SHORT, I ELECTED TO LAND ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. I ALSO FIGURED SINCE THE ENG HAD QUIT WHY BLOCK THE ONLY OPEN RWY ON THE ARPT. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE ACFT STOPPED I NOTIFIED TLH TWR THAT MY ENG HAD QUIT ON FINAL, THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND I WAS WELL CLR OF THE RWY AND PLEASE SEND A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE ENG QUIT IT ACTED LIKE FUEL STARVATION. BASED ON MY CALCULATIONS THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 3 HRS 30 MINS AND SHOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST 1 HR OF FUEL REMAINING. AT THE MAINT HANGAR THE MECH DRAINED FUEL FROM THE MAIN TANKS AS WELL AS THE CARB PROVING THAT THE ENG HAD FUEL AVAILABLE. WE TOPPED THE ACFT OFF AND JUST AS I HAD FIGURED THE ACFT HAD 12 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING AT THE TIME. WE GND RAN THE ACFT FOR 15 MINS USING ALL COMBINATIONS OF FUEL TANKS, ETC. THE ACFT RAN GREAT. THE MECH FIGURED CARB ICE OR POSSIBLE WATER HAD CAUSED THE PROB. I FLEW ABOUT 4 MORE HRS GETTING HOME TO MEMPHIS. THE ENG AS USUAL RAN GREAT. I AM STILL NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED ON THE CARB ICE OR WATER THEORY. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING UP THE FUEL BLADDERS AND CHKING FOR WRINKLES OR SOME BLADDER PROBS OF THAT NATURE. HOPEFULLY A DEFINITE REASON CAN BE FOUND.

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.