Fuel exhaustion forced aircraft to land, off-airport, 7 mi short of final destination.

Attributes
ACN	294646
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 2000 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lsv artcc : czqm
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 240 flight time type : 9
ASRS Report	294646
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft involved was a C-177B (cardinal) which I had rented in the past. The trip, vgt-knb-pga and return, was familiar to me (15 times vgt-knb and return, and 5 times vgt-pga-knb-pea, all in the past 18 months.) I had flown the cardinal on my most recent vgt-knb trip, which was a month ago. Poor flying WX has kept my time low in the past 90 days. After returning from pga, on the ground, in knb, I checked fuel and estimated 15 gallons on board. I decided to divert to sgu and add fuel for reserve. In sgu I added another 10 gallons. The hobbs showed 3.7 hours elapsed: I believed the extra fuel was more than plenty based on 4.9 hour endurance stated in the pilot operating handbook. (The tanks were top full in vgt.) the forced landing was successful -- thank goodness for glider training, and there were no injuries, and no damage. I think the discrepancy between the pilot operating handbook endurance and actual endurance is a result of the increased power settings on climb, too rich a mixture, and greater-than-pilot operating handbook power settings on cruise. My altitude was, of course, not always, as in the pilot operating handbook chart. I plan to fly the same trip again, fueling at each stop to check consumption, using the same power settings and find out what the fuel consumption really was.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION FORCED ACFT TO LAND, OFF-ARPT, 7 MI SHORT OF FINAL DEST.

Narrative: THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS A C-177B (CARDINAL) WHICH I HAD RENTED IN THE PAST. THE TRIP, VGT-KNB-PGA AND RETURN, WAS FAMILIAR TO ME (15 TIMES VGT-KNB AND RETURN, AND 5 TIMES VGT-PGA-KNB-PEA, ALL IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS.) I HAD FLOWN THE CARDINAL ON MY MOST RECENT VGT-KNB TRIP, WHICH WAS A MONTH AGO. POOR FLYING WX HAS KEPT MY TIME LOW IN THE PAST 90 DAYS. AFTER RETURNING FROM PGA, ON THE GND, IN KNB, I CHKED FUEL AND ESTIMATED 15 GALLONS ON BOARD. I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO SGU AND ADD FUEL FOR RESERVE. IN SGU I ADDED ANOTHER 10 GALLONS. THE HOBBS SHOWED 3.7 HRS ELAPSED: I BELIEVED THE EXTRA FUEL WAS MORE THAN PLENTY BASED ON 4.9 HR ENDURANCE STATED IN THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK. (THE TANKS WERE TOP FULL IN VGT.) THE FORCED LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL -- THANK GOODNESS FOR GLIDER TRAINING, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES, AND NO DAMAGE. I THINK THE DISCREPANCY BTWN THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK ENDURANCE AND ACTUAL ENDURANCE IS A RESULT OF THE INCREASED PWR SETTINGS ON CLB, TOO RICH A MIXTURE, AND GREATER-THAN-PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK PWR SETTINGS ON CRUISE. MY ALT WAS, OF COURSE, NOT ALWAYS, AS IN THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK CHART. I PLAN TO FLY THE SAME TRIP AGAIN, FUELING AT EACH STOP TO CHK CONSUMPTION, USING THE SAME PWR SETTINGS AND FIND OUT WHAT THE FUEL CONSUMPTION REALLY WAS.

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.