Small aircraft has fuel exhaustion, off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	287037
Time
Date	199410
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ecg
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 10350 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	287037
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical 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:

Departed mqj with what I thought was 65 gallons fuel. Left tank at bottom of slot, right tank bottom of tab 35 plus 30 gallons respectively. Flew to ffa, IFR training flight 2 hour 45 min. Should have used 36 gallons. This should have left 29 gallons remain (2 hour plus). We departed ffa for a lunch and refuel to continue to ric. Over powells point, fuel exhaustion occurred and I made an emergency landing on highway 158 being careful to not hit any wires. I could not account for the obvious mystery of how much fuel was actually in the tanks until oct/xx/94 when I discovered a blocked fuel tank vent on the left tank and a partially clogged tank that may have caused the left tank to indicate more fuel than was actually in the tank. This is why I am giving you this report now. Also the gas tanks were not indicating correctly as we were en route. This did not concern me as I have flown many hours by timing my fuel and I really thought that I had 65 gallons on board. The tanks indicated full after I moved the wires going to the fuel gauges. After refilling the tanks at mqi, the terminals have been cleaned and the wires reattached. I have never had fuel exhaustion in 46 yrs of flying and I am not fully convinced of the reason for this incident. You can be assured that I will be even more careful about my fuel quantity in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS FUEL EXHAUSTION, OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED MQJ WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 65 GALLONS FUEL. L TANK AT BOTTOM OF SLOT, R TANK BOTTOM OF TAB 35 PLUS 30 GALLONS RESPECTIVELY. FLEW TO FFA, IFR TRAINING FLT 2 HR 45 MIN. SHOULD HAVE USED 36 GALLONS. THIS SHOULD HAVE LEFT 29 GALLONS REMAIN (2 HR PLUS). WE DEPARTED FFA FOR A LUNCH AND REFUEL TO CONTINUE TO RIC. OVER POWELLS POINT, FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED AND I MADE AN EMER LNDG ON HWY 158 BEING CAREFUL TO NOT HIT ANY WIRES. I COULD NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE OBVIOUS MYSTERY OF HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TANKS UNTIL OCT/XX/94 WHEN I DISCOVERED A BLOCKED FUEL TANK VENT ON THE L TANK AND A PARTIALLY CLOGGED TANK THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE L TANK TO INDICATE MORE FUEL THAN WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TANK. THIS IS WHY I AM GIVING YOU THIS RPT NOW. ALSO THE GAS TANKS WERE NOT INDICATING CORRECTLY AS WE WERE ENRTE. THIS DID NOT CONCERN ME AS I HAVE FLOWN MANY HRS BY TIMING MY FUEL AND I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I HAD 65 GALLONS ON BOARD. THE TANKS INDICATED FULL AFTER I MOVED THE WIRES GOING TO THE FUEL GAUGES. AFTER REFILLING THE TANKS AT MQI, THE TERMINALS HAVE BEEN CLEANED AND THE WIRES REATTACHED. I HAVE NEVER HAD FUEL EXHAUSTION IN 46 YRS OF FLYING AND I AM NOT FULLY CONVINCED OF THE REASON FOR THIS INCIDENT. YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT I WILL BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL ABOUT MY FUEL QUANTITY IN THE FUTURE.

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.