Fuel exhaustion mandates an emergency off airport landing for small aircraft pilot.

Attributes
ACN	246409
Time
Date	199307
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : f16
State Reference	OK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hvn
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 257
ASRS Report	246409
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on a long cross country in western ok, with winds around 25 KTS. The wind shifted a little about halfway through, giving more of a headwind than anticipated. The planned cross country was planned to be around 2 hours 45 mins. The tanks had been filled the night before. 3.1 (hobbs) hours into the flight, (within 15 mins of landing at the destination) the engine started cutting out. I remembered crossing a highway a few mi back and seeing that I would have a tailwind if I turned around, I did so. I landed on the highway and came to an uneventful stop. I got out and found I had no more fuel in the tanks. An small aircraft X has 24.5 gallons of usable fuel which, at 6 gallons/hour, comes out to 4 hours and 5 mins. I should have had roughly an hour left. I figured it up and it burned 7.6 gallons/hour. I did lean the mixture during the flight. I still do not understand what happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION MANDATES AN EMER OFF ARPT LNDG FOR SMA PLT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A LONG XCOUNTRY IN WESTERN OK, WITH WINDS AROUND 25 KTS. THE WIND SHIFTED A LITTLE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH, GIVING MORE OF A HEADWIND THAN ANTICIPATED. THE PLANNED XCOUNTRY WAS PLANNED TO BE AROUND 2 HRS 45 MINS. THE TANKS HAD BEEN FILLED THE NIGHT BEFORE. 3.1 (HOBBS) HRS INTO THE FLT, (WITHIN 15 MINS OF LNDG AT THE DEST) THE ENG STARTED CUTTING OUT. I REMEMBERED XING A HWY A FEW MI BACK AND SEEING THAT I WOULD HAVE A TAILWIND IF I TURNED AROUND, I DID SO. I LANDED ON THE HWY AND CAME TO AN UNEVENTFUL STOP. I GOT OUT AND FOUND I HAD NO MORE FUEL IN THE TANKS. AN SMA X HAS 24.5 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL WHICH, AT 6 GALLONS/HR, COMES OUT TO 4 HRS AND 5 MINS. I SHOULD HAVE HAD ROUGHLY AN HR LEFT. I FIGURED IT UP AND IT BURNED 7.6 GALLONS/HR. I DID LEAN THE MIXTURE DURING THE FLT. I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.

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.