Narrative:

Fuel exhaustion. Topped the tank the day before the flight. Had 5 20-min flts prior to fuel exhaustion. The fuel gauge is a float type. On the second flight of the day, I noticed the fuel gauge was stuck at 3/4 full. I incorrectly assumed I caught the gauge about when it stuck and calculated my fuel situation. Thinking I had 3/4 left. The gauge must have been stuck for a bit longer than I thought, I actually had 1/2 tank left. The engine died on a 4 mi final for runway 18 at rdg. I explained to the tower I had lost an engine and landed the aircraft without incident in a potato field. After further investigation, I discovered that the sightseeing flts I was conducting were longer than 20 mins. Obviously the cause of the accident was my failure to visually inspect the tank. In retrospect, there were a number of reasons I failed to inspect the tank. Passenger were already waiting when I landed, giving me less turnaround time than I would like. The last passenger was in a rush to overfly a field where his radio controled airplane club was practicing until XB00 pm, it was already XA40. The location of the fuel tank on an small aircraft is on the top wing, to access it one must climb on top of the engine cowling, which was quite warm after 80 plus mins of flying on a 90 degree day. I flew the aircraft out of the field the next day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SIGHTSEEING PLT TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND LNDG OFF ARPT.

Narrative: FUEL EXHAUSTION. TOPPED THE TANK THE DAY BEFORE THE FLT. HAD 5 20-MIN FLTS PRIOR TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FUEL GAUGE IS A FLOAT TYPE. ON THE SECOND FLT OF THE DAY, I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE WAS STUCK AT 3/4 FULL. I INCORRECTLY ASSUMED I CAUGHT THE GAUGE ABOUT WHEN IT STUCK AND CALCULATED MY FUEL SIT. THINKING I HAD 3/4 LEFT. THE GAUGE MUST HAVE BEEN STUCK FOR A BIT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT, I ACTUALLY HAD 1/2 TANK LEFT. THE ENG DIED ON A 4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 18 AT RDG. I EXPLAINED TO THE TWR I HAD LOST AN ENG AND LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT IN A POTATO FIELD. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE SIGHTSEEING FLTS I WAS CONDUCTING WERE LONGER THAN 20 MINS. OBVIOUSLY THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS MY FAILURE TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE TANK. IN RETROSPECT, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REASONS I FAILED TO INSPECT THE TANK. PAX WERE ALREADY WAITING WHEN I LANDED, GIVING ME LESS TURNAROUND TIME THAN I WOULD LIKE. THE LAST PAX WAS IN A RUSH TO OVERFLY A FIELD WHERE HIS RADIO CTLED AIRPLANE CLUB WAS PRACTICING UNTIL XB00 PM, IT WAS ALREADY XA40. THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL TANK ON AN SMA IS ON THE TOP WING, TO ACCESS IT ONE MUST CLB ON TOP OF THE ENG COWLING, WHICH WAS QUITE WARM AFTER 80 PLUS MINS OF FLYING ON A 90 DEG DAY. I FLEW THE ACFT OUT OF THE FIELD THE NEXT DAY.

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.