Off airport landing after fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	306607
Time
Date	199506
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lyh
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lyh
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR Combined VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	306607
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I left dxr at XA00 for a VFR flight to pdk. Our first planned stop for fuel was lyh. After roughly 2 1/2 hours, near ZDC, I picked up an IFR clearance. I proceeded IFR from that point until lyh. After being passed from approach control to the tower in lyh (approximately 5 mi from the airport), the right tank ran dry and the engine lost power. I switched tanks and executed a restart procedure. I notified the tower of my situation after the engine did not immediately restart. After approximately 30-45 seconds, the engine restarted and I proceeded to the airport. (I was set up for a straight-in landing.) approximately 1/2 mi from the end of the runway, the left tank ran dry and I had to land in a field. There were no injuries. I had 1 passenger. The aircraft received minor damage (initial estimate of $10,000). The FAA and police were notified. The aircraft was towed to the airport on a road without having the wings removed. From the time of liftoff (XA00) to the time of the incident (XD15) was 4 hours and 15 mins. The aircraft has a 50 gallon tank with 48 gallons usable. I ran it at 65- 70 percent horsepwr. The published endurance is longer than 4 hours and 15 mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a rental cherokee 180 of late '60's vintage. He personally filled the fuel tanks before departure. There were only 4.3 hours elapsed time on the hour meter at the time of fuel exhaustion, nowhere near the advertised fuel duration. One of the fuel gauges was inoperative, but the reporter was not depending on it for an accurate reading. This was investigated by the richmond FSDO and deemed to be an incident. No certificate action has been taken. The reporter found himself low over trees. He crossed the trees, then had to fly under a pwrline. The pwrline did not break, but caught the vertical stabilizer just below the rotating beacon. The vertical stabilizer was pulled aft, creating a gap at the fuselage juncture. The reporter landed on a church lawn, about 100 yards long.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG AFTER FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I LEFT DXR AT XA00 FOR A VFR FLT TO PDK. OUR FIRST PLANNED STOP FOR FUEL WAS LYH. AFTER ROUGHLY 2 1/2 HRS, NEAR ZDC, I PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC. I PROCEEDED IFR FROM THAT POINT UNTIL LYH. AFTER BEING PASSED FROM APCH CTL TO THE TWR IN LYH (APPROX 5 MI FROM THE ARPT), THE R TANK RAN DRY AND THE ENG LOST PWR. I SWITCHED TANKS AND EXECUTED A RESTART PROC. I NOTIFIED THE TWR OF MY SIT AFTER THE ENG DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. AFTER APPROX 30-45 SECONDS, THE ENG RESTARTED AND I PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT. (I WAS SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG.) APPROX 1/2 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY, THE L TANK RAN DRY AND I HAD TO LAND IN A FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I HAD 1 PAX. THE ACFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE (INITIAL ESTIMATE OF $10,000). THE FAA AND POLICE WERE NOTIFIED. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE ARPT ON A ROAD WITHOUT HAVING THE WINGS REMOVED. FROM THE TIME OF LIFTOFF (XA00) TO THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT (XD15) WAS 4 HRS AND 15 MINS. THE ACFT HAS A 50 GALLON TANK WITH 48 GALLONS USABLE. I RAN IT AT 65- 70 PERCENT HORSEPWR. THE PUBLISHED ENDURANCE IS LONGER THAN 4 HRS AND 15 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A RENTAL CHEROKEE 180 OF LATE '60'S VINTAGE. HE PERSONALLY FILLED THE FUEL TANKS BEFORE DEP. THERE WERE ONLY 4.3 HRS ELAPSED TIME ON THE HR METER AT THE TIME OF FUEL EXHAUSTION, NOWHERE NEAR THE ADVERTISED FUEL DURATION. ONE OF THE FUEL GAUGES WAS INOP, BUT THE RPTR WAS NOT DEPENDING ON IT FOR AN ACCURATE READING. THIS WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE RICHMOND FSDO AND DEEMED TO BE AN INCIDENT. NO CERTIFICATE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. THE RPTR FOUND HIMSELF LOW OVER TREES. HE CROSSED THE TREES, THEN HAD TO FLY UNDER A PWRLINE. THE PWRLINE DID NOT BREAK, BUT CAUGHT THE VERT STABILIZER JUST BELOW THE ROTATING BEACON. THE VERT STABILIZER WAS PULLED AFT, CREATING A GAP AT THE FUSELAGE JUNCTURE. THE RPTR LANDED ON A CHURCH LAWN, ABOUT 100 YARDS LONG.

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.