Narrative:

While preparing to return home to sandpoint, identification, from denver, co, my son and I arrived at apa to find aircraft refueling in progress. I make it a practice to do my own fueling as r-hand tank xfeeds and caps can be difficult to install. Aircraft is a 1948 C170. I personally took over fueling from line personnel as they were starting on r- hand tank. Completed fueling, preflight, and WX check. Departed den at XA50 mdt for first planned fuel stop at riverton, wy. Proceeded north larimie, medicine bow and northwest. WX cavu light to occasional moderate turbulence. After passing medicine bow observed disturbing rate of decline fuel quantity in fuel gauge indications. Doublechked time in air and ete (I fly by the clock as gauges are suggestive in nature of fuel supply). I had fuel selector on 'both' as is my custom. Uneven fuel draw not unusual in unstable air. However, both gauges very low. Decided to confirm fuel status by selecting lowest tank (r-hand) which ran dry in 10 mins. Selected 'both' knowing fuel remaining l- hand tank insufficient to continue to destination. No alternate airports in range (wyoming is pretty desolate). Found small town, jeffrey city, only civilization for mi. Looked for landing site. Observed 2 lane highway east of town had stretch free of power lines, telephone poles, etc. Also relatively little traffic. Set up pattern to coincide with break in traffic. Landed 2 mi east of town without incident. Parked aircraft off highway and hitchhiked to town. Ride assisted in finding and transporting fuel (unleaded automatic gas) 6.4 gallons total in 3 trips (2 gallon gas can). Upon landing checked fuel. L- hand gas cap was off but hanging on chain. Fuel stains down left side fuselage. Tank almost dry. R-hand tank empty of usable fuel. After fueling found sheriff who stopped traffic on highway. Took off without incident, waved to town and continued to riverton, wy. After fueling, calculations indicated we lost 10 gallons in-flight. Obviously lineman did not have fuel cap properly secured l-hand side. Obviously in my concern about fueling r-hand side, I neglected to doublechk l-hand cap except visually. I was extremely glad I landed when I saw cap off instead of waiting until fuel ran out. Can't be too careful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. GAS CAP NOT SECURED AFTER FUELING. GAS DRAINED OUT INFLT AND RPTR PLT MADE AN EMER LNDG FOR FUEL. LNDG WAS ON HWY OUTSIDE OF TOWN IN WYOMING. RPTR HAD TO BRING AUTO FUEL FROM TOWN TO REFUEL ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE PREPARING TO RETURN HOME TO SANDPOINT, ID, FROM DENVER, CO, MY SON AND I ARRIVED AT APA TO FIND ACFT REFUELING IN PROGRESS. I MAKE IT A PRACTICE TO DO MY OWN FUELING AS R-HAND TANK XFEEDS AND CAPS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO INSTALL. ACFT IS A 1948 C170. I PERSONALLY TOOK OVER FUELING FROM LINE PERSONNEL AS THEY WERE STARTING ON R- HAND TANK. COMPLETED FUELING, PREFLT, AND WX CHK. DEPARTED DEN AT XA50 MDT FOR FIRST PLANNED FUEL STOP AT RIVERTON, WY. PROCEEDED N LARIMIE, MEDICINE BOW AND NW. WX CAVU LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB. AFTER PASSING MEDICINE BOW OBSERVED DISTURBING RATE OF DECLINE FUEL QUANTITY IN FUEL GAUGE INDICATIONS. DOUBLECHKED TIME IN AIR AND ETE (I FLY BY THE CLOCK AS GAUGES ARE SUGGESTIVE IN NATURE OF FUEL SUPPLY). I HAD FUEL SELECTOR ON 'BOTH' AS IS MY CUSTOM. UNEVEN FUEL DRAW NOT UNUSUAL IN UNSTABLE AIR. HOWEVER, BOTH GAUGES VERY LOW. DECIDED TO CONFIRM FUEL STATUS BY SELECTING LOWEST TANK (R-HAND) WHICH RAN DRY IN 10 MINS. SELECTED 'BOTH' KNOWING FUEL REMAINING L- HAND TANK INSUFFICIENT TO CONTINUE TO DEST. NO ALTERNATE ARPTS IN RANGE (WYOMING IS PRETTY DESOLATE). FOUND SMALL TOWN, JEFFREY CITY, ONLY CIVILIZATION FOR MI. LOOKED FOR LNDG SITE. OBSERVED 2 LANE HWY E OF TOWN HAD STRETCH FREE OF PWR LINES, TELEPHONE POLES, ETC. ALSO RELATIVELY LITTLE TFC. SET UP PATTERN TO COINCIDE WITH BREAK IN TFC. LANDED 2 MI E OF TOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. PARKED ACFT OFF HWY AND HITCHHIKED TO TOWN. RIDE ASSISTED IN FINDING AND TRANSPORTING FUEL (UNLEADED AUTO GAS) 6.4 GALLONS TOTAL IN 3 TRIPS (2 GALLON GAS CAN). UPON LNDG CHKED FUEL. L- HAND GAS CAP WAS OFF BUT HANGING ON CHAIN. FUEL STAINS DOWN L SIDE FUSELAGE. TANK ALMOST DRY. R-HAND TANK EMPTY OF USABLE FUEL. AFTER FUELING FOUND SHERIFF WHO STOPPED TFC ON HWY. TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT, WAVED TO TOWN AND CONTINUED TO RIVERTON, WY. AFTER FUELING, CALCULATIONS INDICATED WE LOST 10 GALLONS INFLT. OBVIOUSLY LINEMAN DID NOT HAVE FUEL CAP PROPERLY SECURED L-HAND SIDE. OBVIOUSLY IN MY CONCERN ABOUT FUELING R-HAND SIDE, I NEGLECTED TO DOUBLECHK L-HAND CAP EXCEPT VISUALLY. I WAS EXTREMELY GLAD I LANDED WHEN I SAW CAP OFF INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL FUEL RAN OUT. CAN'T BE TOO CAREFUL.

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.