Narrative:

Flight originated ftw to hfy (greenwood, in) nov/xa/94, IFR, no incident, good tailwinds. Total time en route 3:40, put on 50 gallons of fuel. Nov/xc/94 moved to hao (hamilton, oh). Time en route 0.50, asked FBO to top off. Put in 35.1 gallons. Asked FBO to rechk fuel, added 3.5 more gallons. Nov/xd/94 asked FBO to rechk and added 3.2 gallons more. Pilot operating handbook/gauges total fuel 87 gallons - 86 usable. I used an 18 gallon per hour fuel burn for planning. Pilot operating handbook has 5.0 hour range at 65 percent power 26 inches manifold pressure, 2400 RPM. Previous flts had shown 15-17 gallons per hour fuel burn. Flight planned for stop in fsm (fort smith, ar) for refueling and lunch. Flight time estimated 2.20 hours, 300 NM with ground speed estimate of 150-160 KTS. I had 2 briefings prior to flight and 3 en route (jonesboro FSS/fsm), and the conditions at fsm were ceilings - minimum, 1 mi visibility, rain and fog. I checked other airfields en route and they were all the same with mlc (mcalester) reporting 700 ft overcast 6 mi, fog and light rain. WX was much better south of the red river into texas. Based on my et from hao and ete from my GPS, I recalculated my fuel burn and felt comfortable that I could reach gle (gainsville, tx) for refueling. I changed my flight plan to gle. Passing fsm my ground speed dropped from 160 KTS to 134 KTS from the west winds at 6000 ft and my et and GPS indicated gle would be 4.5 hours, plus. I elected to go to mlc which would be 4 hours total time en route. Crossing over mlc at 4000 ft the approach called for a 10 DME arc for runway 1 localizer approach west. I checked the fuel gauges and they both indicated 10 gallons each tank. I continued the approach. The descent was normal and at decision ht I was still IMC and made a missed approach. I broke out of IMC past the field at 700-800 ft AGL and with fuel becoming a factor, began a turn back to the field for the VOR runway 19 approach. As I turned back toward the airport (10 degrees bank) the engine sputtered 1 time, restarted and quit. I knew it had to be out of fuel. My gear was down, flaps in. I was lined up directly into the wind, a 1 mi minimum highway with no traffic and I set the aircraft down immediately with no damages or injuries to anyone. This highway was on the mcalester army weapons depot land and the security personnel and the commanding officer of the base were helpful in my getting fuel from mlc and cleared the highway for my takeoff and short flight to mlc for fuel. I refiled back to ftw and proceeded without further problems. Performance considerations (planning and approach at mcalester, ok - mlc): my judgement in relying on the pilot operating handbook for fuel burn and my mismgmnt of my fuel (4.3 hours on the tachometer at emergency landing site). I was cleared down to 4000 ft until established and I should have turned southeast and then turned back for the approach rather than go 10 mi west and then a southeast 10 mi arc to the approach as my 4000 ft altitude assignment was good and no other traffic in the area. Making that arc into a west wind cost me needed fuel and I failed to ask center for a southeast approach. Cessna T-210 fuel tanks will show full at the neck and will actually hold 8-10 gallons more if put in slowly. I was very, very lucky and have learned a hard lesson.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR RAN OUT OF FUEL ON MISSED APCH AND MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED FTW TO HFY (GREENWOOD, IN) NOV/XA/94, IFR, NO INCIDENT, GOOD TAILWINDS. TOTAL TIME ENRTE 3:40, PUT ON 50 GALLONS OF FUEL. NOV/XC/94 MOVED TO HAO (HAMILTON, OH). TIME ENRTE 0.50, ASKED FBO TO TOP OFF. PUT IN 35.1 GALLONS. ASKED FBO TO RECHK FUEL, ADDED 3.5 MORE GALLONS. NOV/XD/94 ASKED FBO TO RECHK AND ADDED 3.2 GALLONS MORE. PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK/GAUGES TOTAL FUEL 87 GALLONS - 86 USABLE. I USED AN 18 GALLON PER HR FUEL BURN FOR PLANNING. PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK HAS 5.0 HR RANGE AT 65 PERCENT PWR 26 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE, 2400 RPM. PREVIOUS FLTS HAD SHOWN 15-17 GALLONS PER HR FUEL BURN. FLT PLANNED FOR STOP IN FSM (FORT SMITH, AR) FOR REFUELING AND LUNCH. FLT TIME ESTIMATED 2.20 HRS, 300 NM WITH GND SPD ESTIMATE OF 150-160 KTS. I HAD 2 BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO FLT AND 3 ENRTE (JONESBORO FSS/FSM), AND THE CONDITIONS AT FSM WERE CEILINGS - MINIMUM, 1 MI VISIBILITY, RAIN AND FOG. I CHKED OTHER AIRFIELDS ENRTE AND THEY WERE ALL THE SAME WITH MLC (MCALESTER) RPTING 700 FT OVCST 6 MI, FOG AND LIGHT RAIN. WX WAS MUCH BETTER S OF THE RED RIVER INTO TEXAS. BASED ON MY ET FROM HAO AND ETE FROM MY GPS, I RECALCULATED MY FUEL BURN AND FELT COMFORTABLE THAT I COULD REACH GLE (GAINSVILLE, TX) FOR REFUELING. I CHANGED MY FLT PLAN TO GLE. PASSING FSM MY GND SPD DROPPED FROM 160 KTS TO 134 KTS FROM THE W WINDS AT 6000 FT AND MY ET AND GPS INDICATED GLE WOULD BE 4.5 HRS, PLUS. I ELECTED TO GO TO MLC WHICH WOULD BE 4 HRS TOTAL TIME ENRTE. XING OVER MLC AT 4000 FT THE APCH CALLED FOR A 10 DME ARC FOR RWY 1 LOC APCH W. I CHKED THE FUEL GAUGES AND THEY BOTH INDICATED 10 GALLONS EACH TANK. I CONTINUED THE APCH. THE DSCNT WAS NORMAL AND AT DECISION HT I WAS STILL IMC AND MADE A MISSED APCH. I BROKE OUT OF IMC PAST THE FIELD AT 700-800 FT AGL AND WITH FUEL BECOMING A FACTOR, BEGAN A TURN BACK TO THE FIELD FOR THE VOR RWY 19 APCH. AS I TURNED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT (10 DEGS BANK) THE ENG SPUTTERED 1 TIME, RESTARTED AND QUIT. I KNEW IT HAD TO BE OUT OF FUEL. MY GEAR WAS DOWN, FLAPS IN. I WAS LINED UP DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND, A 1 MI MINIMUM HWY WITH NO TFC AND I SET THE ACFT DOWN IMMEDIATELY WITH NO DAMAGES OR INJURIES TO ANYONE. THIS HWY WAS ON THE MCALESTER ARMY WEAPONS DEPOT LAND AND THE SECURITY PERSONNEL AND THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE BASE WERE HELPFUL IN MY GETTING FUEL FROM MLC AND CLRED THE HWY FOR MY TKOF AND SHORT FLT TO MLC FOR FUEL. I REFILED BACK TO FTW AND PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS (PLANNING AND APCH AT MCALESTER, OK - MLC): MY JUDGEMENT IN RELYING ON THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR FUEL BURN AND MY MISMGMNT OF MY FUEL (4.3 HRS ON THE TACHOMETER AT EMER LNDG SITE). I WAS CLRED DOWN TO 4000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED AND I SHOULD HAVE TURNED SE AND THEN TURNED BACK FOR THE APCH RATHER THAN GO 10 MI W AND THEN A SE 10 MI ARC TO THE APCH AS MY 4000 FT ALT ASSIGNMENT WAS GOOD AND NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA. MAKING THAT ARC INTO A W WIND COST ME NEEDED FUEL AND I FAILED TO ASK CTR FOR A SE APCH. CESSNA T-210 FUEL TANKS WILL SHOW FULL AT THE NECK AND WILL ACTUALLY HOLD 8-10 GALLONS MORE IF PUT IN SLOWLY. I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY AND HAVE LEARNED A HARD LESSON.

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.