Narrative:

I picked up the photographer at weiser airpark. Prior to departing, I stopped at the fuel pumps and topped off the tanks. We were running about 20 mins late. We flew to brenham and photographed the parking lot of a local store. From brenham we proceeded to college station. Upon photographing the department stores there, we then flew to bastrop. After bastrop we then headed towards austin. From austin we then went to kileen and then on to waco. While filming over a large discount store, the engine began to surge and then quit. I maneuvered the plane towards a football field and made an emergency landing. During the landing roll, the plane struck a chain-link fence causing the nosewheel to collapse. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed that I had completely exhausted my fuel supply. I had overestimated my fuel supply. This was further aggravated by the fact that the photographs had to be taken between XA00 and XD00. I had originally planned the flight to austin. The change to waco was at the last min. I should have taken a few mins to calculate the extra leg. Furthermore, I calculated the aircraft endurance at 2500 RPM to be 4 hours 18 mins with a 45 min reserve. Because we were running late, I used 2600 RPM. This increased fuel burn cut the endurance to 3 hours 50 mins and total flight time was 4 hours 12 mins. Taking into account the engine was a high time engine, fuel burn was slightly more than the charts indicate. Bottom line, be familiar with your aircraft and its performance and take into account the charts aren't all that accurate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLT, PLT OF AN SMA WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A FOOTBALL FIELD AFTER THE ENG QUIT, DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED WHEN THE ACFT STRUCK A FENCE DURING LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: I PICKED UP THE PHOTOGRAPHER AT WEISER AIRPARK. PRIOR TO DEPARTING, I STOPPED AT THE FUEL PUMPS AND TOPPED OFF THE TANKS. WE WERE RUNNING ABOUT 20 MINS LATE. WE FLEW TO BRENHAM AND PHOTOGRAPHED THE PARKING LOT OF A LCL STORE. FROM BRENHAM WE PROCEEDED TO COLLEGE STATION. UPON PHOTOGRAPHING THE DEPT STORES THERE, WE THEN FLEW TO BASTROP. AFTER BASTROP WE THEN HEADED TOWARDS AUSTIN. FROM AUSTIN WE THEN WENT TO KILEEN AND THEN ON TO WACO. WHILE FILMING OVER A LARGE DISCOUNT STORE, THE ENG BEGAN TO SURGE AND THEN QUIT. I MANEUVERED THE PLANE TOWARDS A FOOTBALL FIELD AND MADE AN EMER LNDG. DURING THE LNDG ROLL, THE PLANE STRUCK A CHAIN-LINK FENCE CAUSING THE NOSEWHEEL TO COLLAPSE. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL TANKS REVEALED THAT I HAD COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED MY FUEL SUPPLY. I HAD OVERESTIMATED MY FUEL SUPPLY. THIS WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY THE FACT THAT THE PHOTOGRAPHS HAD TO BE TAKEN BTWN XA00 AND XD00. I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED THE FLT TO AUSTIN. THE CHANGE TO WACO WAS AT THE LAST MIN. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A FEW MINS TO CALCULATE THE EXTRA LEG. FURTHERMORE, I CALCULATED THE ACFT ENDURANCE AT 2500 RPM TO BE 4 HRS 18 MINS WITH A 45 MIN RESERVE. BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING LATE, I USED 2600 RPM. THIS INCREASED FUEL BURN CUT THE ENDURANCE TO 3 HRS 50 MINS AND TOTAL FLT TIME WAS 4 HRS 12 MINS. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE ENG WAS A HIGH TIME ENG, FUEL BURN WAS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE CHARTS INDICATE. BOTTOM LINE, BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ACFT AND ITS PERFORMANCE AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CHARTS AREN'T ALL THAT ACCURATE.

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.