Narrative:

Thorough preflight completed which included visual check of fuel levels (both tanks full, total capacity 65 gallons) witnessed by FBO employee who had filled tanks. Uneventful departure from monte vista, co, field elevation 7610 ft MSL. Outside air temperature 36 degrees F. Cavu for planned 3 hour flight to F05, vernon, tx, with 5 hours fuel aboard. Cruising altitude was 9500 ft MSL. 2 hours 40 mins into flight, engine lost power. Performed all phases of restart procedure (switch fuel tanks, magneto switch, carburetor heat, drain gascolator, rock wings, pitch, yaw) without success. Took up heading for nearest airport, F21, memphis, tx, approximately 10 mi. This is an unattended airport (no unicom). About 3 mi out, noted 'X' on both ends of runway indicating runway closed. Made circle over field at 2000 ft AGL and noted no obstructions or machinery on runway. Declared intentions on CTAF and made uneventful landing. Subsequent inspection revealed: 1) both fuel tanks empty. 2) fuel stains originating at both fuel caps on tops of wings and covering wing, flaps, sides of fuselage and empennage with blue/green 100LL stain. 3) the fuel caps were properly installed but neoprene cap seals had shrunk and were not sealing causing the fuel siphoning from the tanks. 4) fuel vents were clear of obstructions and performing properly. 5) fuel caps were original equipment and seals were replaced within past 4 yrs. Conclusion: the airplane is based and hangared in texas and there was no prior evidence of fuel loss around the fuel caps. Prior to this event, the airplane spent 30 days tied down outside in colorado in dry climate at 7610 ft MSL when nighttime temperatures fell below 0 degrees F. Dry conditions and cold soak caused the seals to shrink resulting in fuel loss. The tanks were full of fuel during this time. The aircraft was subsequently refueled, caps sealed, the field temporarily opened and airplane continued uneventful trip to destination. Airplane is temporarily OTS pending installation of new improved fuel caps. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had been flying a 1959 C182. The caps in question had the seals replaced about 2-3 yrs ago. They were a tight fit at first but later the reporter noted that the lever was easier to push down to 'press' the cap and seal into the fuel tank opening. He thought it was just 'adjusting' to the opening but now realizes that the seals were wearing thin. The newer caps are the screw on's, more like the automobile type. He likes the new caps because the mechanic who sold them said, 'they keep the water out and the fuel in.' he suggested that anyone having the older type caps get the new replacement types. That way one might not feel too 'fuelish' when landing short of destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER LNDG MADE AT CLOSED ARPT WHEN SMA PVT PLT EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION. FUEL REMAINING WAS ZERO DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: THOROUGH PREFLT COMPLETED WHICH INCLUDED VISUAL CHK OF FUEL LEVELS (BOTH TANKS FULL, TOTAL CAPACITY 65 GALLONS) WITNESSED BY FBO EMPLOYEE WHO HAD FILLED TANKS. UNEVENTFUL DEP FROM MONTE VISTA, CO, FIELD ELEVATION 7610 FT MSL. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP 36 DEGS F. CAVU FOR PLANNED 3 HR FLT TO F05, VERNON, TX, WITH 5 HRS FUEL ABOARD. CRUISING ALT WAS 9500 FT MSL. 2 HRS 40 MINS INTO FLT, ENG LOST PWR. PERFORMED ALL PHASES OF RESTART PROC (SWITCH FUEL TANKS, MAGNETO SWITCH, CARB HEAT, DRAIN GASCOLATOR, ROCK WINGS, PITCH, YAW) WITHOUT SUCCESS. TOOK UP HDG FOR NEAREST ARPT, F21, MEMPHIS, TX, APPROX 10 MI. THIS IS AN UNATTENDED ARPT (NO UNICOM). ABOUT 3 MI OUT, NOTED 'X' ON BOTH ENDS OF RWY INDICATING RWY CLOSED. MADE CIRCLE OVER FIELD AT 2000 FT AGL AND NOTED NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR MACHINERY ON RWY. DECLARED INTENTIONS ON CTAF AND MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED: 1) BOTH FUEL TANKS EMPTY. 2) FUEL STAINS ORIGINATING AT BOTH FUEL CAPS ON TOPS OF WINGS AND COVERING WING, FLAPS, SIDES OF FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE WITH BLUE/GREEN 100LL STAIN. 3) THE FUEL CAPS WERE PROPERLY INSTALLED BUT NEOPRENE CAP SEALS HAD SHRUNK AND WERE NOT SEALING CAUSING THE FUEL SIPHONING FROM THE TANKS. 4) FUEL VENTS WERE CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS AND PERFORMING PROPERLY. 5) FUEL CAPS WERE ORIGINAL EQUIP AND SEALS WERE REPLACED WITHIN PAST 4 YRS. CONCLUSION: THE AIRPLANE IS BASED AND HANGARED IN TEXAS AND THERE WAS NO PRIOR EVIDENCE OF FUEL LOSS AROUND THE FUEL CAPS. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, THE AIRPLANE SPENT 30 DAYS TIED DOWN OUTSIDE IN COLORADO IN DRY CLIMATE AT 7610 FT MSL WHEN NIGHTTIME TEMPS FELL BELOW 0 DEGS F. DRY CONDITIONS AND COLD SOAK CAUSED THE SEALS TO SHRINK RESULTING IN FUEL LOSS. THE TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL DURING THIS TIME. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REFUELED, CAPS SEALED, THE FIELD TEMPORARILY OPENED AND AIRPLANE CONTINUED UNEVENTFUL TRIP TO DEST. AIRPLANE IS TEMPORARILY OTS PENDING INSTALLATION OF NEW IMPROVED FUEL CAPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD BEEN FLYING A 1959 C182. THE CAPS IN QUESTION HAD THE SEALS REPLACED ABOUT 2-3 YRS AGO. THEY WERE A TIGHT FIT AT FIRST BUT LATER THE RPTR NOTED THAT THE LEVER WAS EASIER TO PUSH DOWN TO 'PRESS' THE CAP AND SEAL INTO THE FUEL TANK OPENING. HE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST 'ADJUSTING' TO THE OPENING BUT NOW REALIZES THAT THE SEALS WERE WEARING THIN. THE NEWER CAPS ARE THE SCREW ON'S, MORE LIKE THE AUTOMOBILE TYPE. HE LIKES THE NEW CAPS BECAUSE THE MECH WHO SOLD THEM SAID, 'THEY KEEP THE WATER OUT AND THE FUEL IN.' HE SUGGESTED THAT ANYONE HAVING THE OLDER TYPE CAPS GET THE NEW REPLACEMENT TYPES. THAT WAY ONE MIGHT NOT FEEL TOO 'FUELISH' WHEN LNDG SHORT OF DEST.

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.