Narrative:

Ran out of fuel in a cherokee in a flight direct from burns (oregon) to reno (nevada). The pilot did not top off in burns and encountered strong headwind. After sending a distress message to ZOA on 128.8, he was directed toward amedee, airfield on a 210 degree heading, but ran out of fuel before reaching the destination and landed 'dead--stick' on the desert at night. The pilot was unharmed and the plane suffered minor damages. The lack of refueling enough at burns was due to a misjudgement caused by fatigue. The pilot flew against bad WX for several hours coming from spokane, wa. He had to make 2 unscheduled stops because of the bad WX. One in walla walla and the other in long creek. He changed his ETA in burns but failed to recalculate his fuel needs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he was exhausted from deviation around WX all day, and suffering from tunnel vision when he recognized that he was going to run out of fuel. He had contacted ZOA, and was heading for amadee aaf (emergency crew on standby), when his engine quit. Reporter landed off-airport in sage brush and patches of snow, at night. After landing, he relayed to ZOA that he did not need assistance (through an airline), and then spent the night in a sleeping bag that he had stowed in the airplane. In the morning, the aircraft was towed onto a dirt road by a nearby camper, and reporter continued flight to reno. Upon his arrival, reporter was met by washoe county search and rescue -- a search had been in progress since occurrence. FAA has retested reporter. Primarily, the testing consisted of flight planning and fuel calculations. Reporter stated that aircraft had a 7 hour range, however, he was so busy with mountain winds, and snow, that he had lost track of time. Reporter stated that, in hindsight, his pressing-on made little sense. He had $600 and credit cards, in possession, and was just going to be visiting friends.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORCED LNDG AS A RESULT OF FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: RAN OUT OF FUEL IN A CHEROKEE IN A FLT DIRECT FROM BURNS (OREGON) TO RENO (NEVADA). THE PLT DID NOT TOP OFF IN BURNS AND ENCOUNTERED STRONG HEADWIND. AFTER SENDING A DISTRESS MESSAGE TO ZOA ON 128.8, HE WAS DIRECTED TOWARD AMEDEE, AIRFIELD ON A 210 DEG HDG, BUT RAN OUT OF FUEL BEFORE REACHING THE DEST AND LANDED 'DEAD--STICK' ON THE DESERT AT NIGHT. THE PLT WAS UNHARMED AND THE PLANE SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGES. THE LACK OF REFUELING ENOUGH AT BURNS WAS DUE TO A MISJUDGEMENT CAUSED BY FATIGUE. THE PLT FLEW AGAINST BAD WX FOR SEVERAL HRS COMING FROM SPOKANE, WA. HE HAD TO MAKE 2 UNSCHEDULED STOPS BECAUSE OF THE BAD WX. ONE IN WALLA WALLA AND THE OTHER IN LONG CREEK. HE CHANGED HIS ETA IN BURNS BUT FAILED TO RECALCULATE HIS FUEL NEEDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS EXHAUSTED FROM DEV AROUND WX ALL DAY, AND SUFFERING FROM TUNNEL VISION WHEN HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS GOING TO RUN OUT OF FUEL. HE HAD CONTACTED ZOA, AND WAS HEADING FOR AMADEE AAF (EMER CREW ON STANDBY), WHEN HIS ENG QUIT. RPTR LANDED OFF-ARPT IN SAGE BRUSH AND PATCHES OF SNOW, AT NIGHT. AFTER LNDG, HE RELAYED TO ZOA THAT HE DID NOT NEED ASSISTANCE (THROUGH AN AIRLINE), AND THEN SPENT THE NIGHT IN A SLEEPING BAG THAT HE HAD STOWED IN THE AIRPLANE. IN THE MORNING, THE ACFT WAS TOWED ONTO A DIRT ROAD BY A NEARBY CAMPER, AND RPTR CONTINUED FLT TO RENO. UPON HIS ARR, RPTR WAS MET BY WASHOE COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE -- A SEARCH HAD BEEN IN PROGRESS SINCE OCCURRENCE. FAA HAS RETESTED RPTR. PRIMARILY, THE TESTING CONSISTED OF FLT PLANNING AND FUEL CALCULATIONS. RPTR STATED THAT ACFT HAD A 7 HR RANGE, HOWEVER, HE WAS SO BUSY WITH MOUNTAIN WINDS, AND SNOW, THAT HE HAD LOST TRACK OF TIME. RPTR STATED THAT, IN HINDSIGHT, HIS PRESSING-ON MADE LITTLE SENSE. HE HAD $600 AND CREDIT CARDS, IN POSSESSION, AND WAS JUST GOING TO BE VISITING FRIENDS.

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.