Small aircraft suffers fuel exhaustion, return land in a forced landing at departure airport.

Attributes
ACN	273539
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s88
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 24500 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	273539
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Low fuel to no fuel event. I was PIC of C-150 used as tow plane in multiple, same day, glider tows. My chkout in c- 150 was apr/xx/94 and I had flown 6 tows prior to day of event. I had considerable previous experience as tow pilot in a piper pawnee. It is customary for tow pilot to determine at what point to refuel. My previous experience had led me to develop a time and burnout procedure to determine refuel needs. This had not yet been done in c- 150 due to recency of chkout. For that reason, I relied too heavily on fuel tank gauges in aircraft. Based on tank gauges, I had informed ground crew I would refuel after next tow. At about 5000 ft AGL the engine quit with plus 1/4 in one tank and minus 1/4 in second. After dead stick return to field, visual inspection revealed only unusable fuel in both tanks. The conclusion is obvious that in unfamiliar/new equipment to go the extra mi in a conservative direction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION, RETURN LAND IN A FORCED LNDG AT DEP ARPT.

Narrative: LOW FUEL TO NO FUEL EVENT. I WAS PIC OF C-150 USED AS TOW PLANE IN MULTIPLE, SAME DAY, GLIDER TOWS. MY CHKOUT IN C- 150 WAS APR/XX/94 AND I HAD FLOWN 6 TOWS PRIOR TO DAY OF EVENT. I HAD CONSIDERABLE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS TOW PLT IN A PIPER PAWNEE. IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR TOW PLT TO DETERMINE AT WHAT POINT TO REFUEL. MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAD LED ME TO DEVELOP A TIME AND BURNOUT PROC TO DETERMINE REFUEL NEEDS. THIS HAD NOT YET BEEN DONE IN C- 150 DUE TO RECENCY OF CHKOUT. FOR THAT REASON, I RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON FUEL TANK GAUGES IN ACFT. BASED ON TANK GAUGES, I HAD INFORMED GND CREW I WOULD REFUEL AFTER NEXT TOW. AT ABOUT 5000 FT AGL THE ENG QUIT WITH PLUS 1/4 IN ONE TANK AND MINUS 1/4 IN SECOND. AFTER DEAD STICK RETURN TO FIELD, VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED ONLY UNUSABLE FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. THE CONCLUSION IS OBVIOUS THAT IN UNFAMILIAR/NEW EQUIP TO GO THE EXTRA MI IN A CONSERVATIVE DIRECTION.

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.