Narrative:

On apr/xx/94 I departed dodge city airport around XA50 pm on the second leg of a return flight from centennial airport, co, to sanford, fl, after purchasing a 1978 cessna 152. I was flying a VOR flight plan as follows: ddc, any, per, okm, mcl. With mcl as my destination. After crossing per VOR I contacted FSS for winds aloft (330 at 30 at 6000) to update my flight planning and then called center for VFR flight following and continued on to mcl. After passing okm VOR I became concerned with my fuel use being advised that the wind was now (170 at 30 gusting) and I was slightly east of my course. I then requested center give me time, distance, and ground speed to mcl. Center gave me 25 mi to mcl 25 mins and ground speed of 70 KTS. At 20 mi and 20 mins out I informed center that it appeared that my fuel was marginal and I would have to make a straight in approach and set up a cruise descent, check lean and power and continued. After center's last call at 15 mi 15 mins and 70 KTS ground speed, I continued for about 3 or 4 mins and exhausted my fuel. I called center and advised them that I was out of fuel and putting down in a field. On landing, I clipped an older barbed wire fence with my main gear, and the aircraft came to rest with little or no damage or injuries. I then called center and advised them of my status. Although I could not raise center on the ground, my call was relayed by another aircraft who had been monitoring my calls. After assessing my situation, I was able to secure fuel and takeoff and proceed to mcl. Once at mcalester airport I had aviation services inspect and make any needed repairs. I have enclosed a copy of a letter written in regards to findings. I had calculated 6 gal per hour cruise (8/10) more than book, with 4 hours of fuel on board and 45 mins past my intended point of destination. I also contacted the local FSDO office and spoke to a FAA person. He proceeded to conduct an oral investigation and I reported that at that time my best estimate was that I had exhausted my fuel supply. It wasn't until the next day that the problems with the magneto and switch were discovered, which I believe caused excessive fuel consumption. On apr/xx/94 I worked on small aircraft after an emergency landing in a field north of mcalister, ok. I was running the aircraft, I lost the right hand magneto. I then checked the magneto and p-lead. I then ran the engine again and noticed no magneto drop on either magneto. I then checked the p-lead to switch with ohm meter and found the switch was wired wrong. After fixing the magneto switch, I ran the engine again and found the right hand magneto still was bad. Removed the magneto and found the coil wire to the points was disconnected, reconnected the wire and reinstalled the magneto and timed. Ran engine and checked switch in all position. Magnetos and switch operation was correct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-152 RUNS OUT OF GAS. EMER, OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG. FACILITY MAINT PROC PROB.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/94 I DEPARTED DODGE CITY ARPT AROUND XA50 PM ON THE SECOND LEG OF A RETURN FLT FROM CENTENNIAL ARPT, CO, TO SANFORD, FL, AFTER PURCHASING A 1978 CESSNA 152. I WAS FLYING A VOR FLT PLAN AS FOLLOWS: DDC, ANY, PER, OKM, MCL. WITH MCL AS MY DEST. AFTER XING PER VOR I CONTACTED FSS FOR WINDS ALOFT (330 AT 30 AT 6000) TO UPDATE MY FLT PLANNING AND THEN CALLED CTR FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND CONTINUED ON TO MCL. AFTER PASSING OKM VOR I BECAME CONCERNED WITH MY FUEL USE BEING ADVISED THAT THE WIND WAS NOW (170 AT 30 GUSTING) AND I WAS SLIGHTLY E OF MY COURSE. I THEN REQUESTED CTR GIVE ME TIME, DISTANCE, AND GND SPD TO MCL. CTR GAVE ME 25 MI TO MCL 25 MINS AND GND SPD OF 70 KTS. AT 20 MI AND 20 MINS OUT I INFORMED CTR THAT IT APPEARED THAT MY FUEL WAS MARGINAL AND I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A STRAIGHT IN APCH AND SET UP A CRUISE DSCNT, CHK LEAN AND PWR AND CONTINUED. AFTER CTR'S LAST CALL AT 15 MI 15 MINS AND 70 KTS GND SPD, I CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS AND EXHAUSTED MY FUEL. I CALLED CTR AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS OUT OF FUEL AND PUTTING DOWN IN A FIELD. ON LNDG, I CLIPPED AN OLDER BARBED WIRE FENCE WITH MY MAIN GEAR, AND THE ACFT CAME TO REST WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. I THEN CALLED CTR AND ADVISED THEM OF MY STATUS. ALTHOUGH I COULD NOT RAISE CTR ON THE GND, MY CALL WAS RELAYED BY ANOTHER ACFT WHO HAD BEEN MONITORING MY CALLS. AFTER ASSESSING MY SIT, I WAS ABLE TO SECURE FUEL AND TKOF AND PROCEED TO MCL. ONCE AT MCALESTER ARPT I HAD AVIATION SVCS INSPECT AND MAKE ANY NEEDED REPAIRS. I HAVE ENCLOSED A COPY OF A LETTER WRITTEN IN REGARDS TO FINDINGS. I HAD CALCULATED 6 GAL PER HR CRUISE (8/10) MORE THAN BOOK, WITH 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND 45 MINS PAST MY INTENDED POINT OF DEST. I ALSO CONTACTED THE LCL FSDO OFFICE AND SPOKE TO A FAA PERSON. HE PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT AN ORAL INVESTIGATION AND I RPTED THAT AT THAT TIME MY BEST ESTIMATE WAS THAT I HAD EXHAUSTED MY FUEL SUPPLY. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY THAT THE PROBS WITH THE MAGNETO AND SWITCH WERE DISCOVERED, WHICH I BELIEVE CAUSED EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION. ON APR/XX/94 I WORKED ON SMA AFTER AN EMER LNDG IN A FIELD N OF MCALISTER, OK. I WAS RUNNING THE ACFT, I LOST THE R HAND MAGNETO. I THEN CHKED THE MAGNETO AND P-LEAD. I THEN RAN THE ENG AGAIN AND NOTICED NO MAGNETO DROP ON EITHER MAGNETO. I THEN CHKED THE P-LEAD TO SWITCH WITH OHM METER AND FOUND THE SWITCH WAS WIRED WRONG. AFTER FIXING THE MAGNETO SWITCH, I RAN THE ENG AGAIN AND FOUND THE R HAND MAGNETO STILL WAS BAD. REMOVED THE MAGNETO AND FOUND THE COIL WIRE TO THE POINTS WAS DISCONNECTED, RECONNECTED THE WIRE AND REINSTALLED THE MAGNETO AND TIMED. RAN ENG AND CHKED SWITCH IN ALL POS. MAGNETOS AND SWITCH OP WAS CORRECT.

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.