Narrative:

On sunday I departed from sarasota airport on a banner run. I had completed my normal preflight and looking in the tanks could not tell exactly how much fuel was left but it looked almost full. I stuck the tanks with a measuring stick we use and estimated there to be 17 gals about in the right tank and at least 15 gals in the left. The fuel was over 3/4 of the way up the stick. I picked up one banner, flew it to anna marie island, and on to longboat key. I returned to sarasota, dropped the banner and flew the pattern for a second banner pickup. This banner I flew to anna marie, longboat key, lido key, siesta key, and on my return leg around armond key, past the quay to be dropped at sarasota. The whole flight I estimated would take between 2 and 2 1/2 hours and I figured I had over 3 hours of fuel. En route from armond key to the quay the engine chugged once and died. I added full power and it started right back with power. Less than 10 seconds later the engine quit. Mixture rich, full power, tank selector fuel 'on.' no result. I dropped the banner over water, called a mayday turning for land. I could not make it to the beach and had very few options. I prayed for help and miraculously landed it on a bridge. Thank god no one was hurt. Now, I know I ran out of fuel. The engine died due to fuel exhaustion. I figured I had about an hour left. The logbook shows 3.2 hours since last refuel, 1.04 on sep/xx/95 and 2.2 or 2.3 on sep/xy/95. Even with this I should have had .7 hours left. I was less than 10 mins from the airport. I would have landed with over 1/2 hour reserve. The only thing I can attribute the fuel consumption to on this day is higher RPM than normal and a high pitch attitude for maintaining altitude resulting in more than normal unusable fuel. In hindsight I should have topped off the tanks but at the time, figuring I had more than enough fuel, I did not want the loss in performance due to the added weight. Now I know better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BANNER TOW ACFT RUNS OUT OF FUEL OVER WATER AND MAKES A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG ON A VEHICLE BRIDGE.

Narrative: ON SUNDAY I DEPARTED FROM SARASOTA ARPT ON A BANNER RUN. I HAD COMPLETED MY NORMAL PREFLT AND LOOKING IN THE TANKS COULD NOT TELL EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL WAS LEFT BUT IT LOOKED ALMOST FULL. I STUCK THE TANKS WITH A MEASURING STICK WE USE AND ESTIMATED THERE TO BE 17 GALS ABOUT IN THE R TANK AND AT LEAST 15 GALS IN THE L. THE FUEL WAS OVER 3/4 OF THE WAY UP THE STICK. I PICKED UP ONE BANNER, FLEW IT TO ANNA MARIE ISLAND, AND ON TO LONGBOAT KEY. I RETURNED TO SARASOTA, DROPPED THE BANNER AND FLEW THE PATTERN FOR A SECOND BANNER PICKUP. THIS BANNER I FLEW TO ANNA MARIE, LONGBOAT KEY, LIDO KEY, SIESTA KEY, AND ON MY RETURN LEG AROUND ARMOND KEY, PAST THE QUAY TO BE DROPPED AT SARASOTA. THE WHOLE FLT I ESTIMATED WOULD TAKE BTWN 2 AND 2 1/2 HRS AND I FIGURED I HAD OVER 3 HRS OF FUEL. ENRTE FROM ARMOND KEY TO THE QUAY THE ENG CHUGGED ONCE AND DIED. I ADDED FULL PWR AND IT STARTED RIGHT BACK WITH PWR. LESS THAN 10 SECONDS LATER THE ENG QUIT. MIXTURE RICH, FULL PWR, TANK SELECTOR FUEL 'ON.' NO RESULT. I DROPPED THE BANNER OVER WATER, CALLED A MAYDAY TURNING FOR LAND. I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE BEACH AND HAD VERY FEW OPTIONS. I PRAYED FOR HELP AND MIRACULOUSLY LANDED IT ON A BRIDGE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT. NOW, I KNOW I RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE ENG DIED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. I FIGURED I HAD ABOUT AN HR LEFT. THE LOGBOOK SHOWS 3.2 HRS SINCE LAST REFUEL, 1.04 ON SEP/XX/95 AND 2.2 OR 2.3 ON SEP/XY/95. EVEN WITH THIS I SHOULD HAVE HAD .7 HRS LEFT. I WAS LESS THAN 10 MINS FROM THE ARPT. I WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH OVER 1/2 HR RESERVE. THE ONLY THING I CAN ATTRIBUTE THE FUEL CONSUMPTION TO ON THIS DAY IS HIGHER RPM THAN NORMAL AND A HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE FOR MAINTAINING ALT RESULTING IN MORE THAN NORMAL UNUSABLE FUEL. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS BUT AT THE TIME, FIGURING I HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL, I DID NOT WANT THE LOSS IN PERFORMANCE DUE TO THE ADDED WT. NOW I KNOW BETTER.

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.