Narrative:

Aircraft made forced landing on highway near earle, ar, due to fuel starvation. There was no damage to aircraft, people in aircraft, or persons and property on the ground. Prior to departing point of origin, fuel tanks were visually inspected by my student, while I supervised. He stated that the tanks were full. Fuel gauges confirmed this. Aircraft departed olv and flew direct to HB2. In HB2 (1 hour flight) fuel tanks were again visually inspected by student, under my supervision. He stated that the fuel tanks were approximately 2/3 full. Fuel gauges confirmed. Departed HB2 for olv. Over gqe VOR, engine quit due to fuel starvation. Forced landing made. Aircraft on VFR flight plan, and in contact with memphis approach control at time of incident. It is my belief that my student misread the amount of fuel in the tanks in both olv and HB2. While I supervised the student checking the tanks, I did not actually climb on the wing and check the tanks after him. Inaccurate fuel gauges also contributed to the problem. Corrective action. Always visually check fuel quantity behind student. Explain to student that the reason that you are checking is not because you don't trust them, but to help ensure the safety of the flight. Cover even more thoroughly with students the importance of proper preflight procedures. Explain that you should not rely too greatly on fuel quantity gauges, they can be inaccurate. Learn to visually verify accurately. If possible refuel after every stop (I teach all my students this already, especially on solo xcountries). We did not refuel in HB2 as FBO was closed. Make stick or pipe to place down in fuel tank to help student determine fuel level. At time of incident, the student and I could not understand how we ran out of fuel. We reworked our fuel computations twice, and they worked out to be correct. We both thought the tanks were full on departure, as the student visually verified, under my supervision. Contributing factor was fuel quantity gauges reading higher than the actual amount of fuel on board. Only after return did we realize that the airplane was probably not full of fuel on our departure, as there was no record of aircraft being fueled that day. Twice, the amount of fuel was visually verified inaccurately. Aircraft was refueled, and departed from highway which had been blocked off by state troopers. Returned to olv without incident. This was a dual cross country training flight for a student working toward his private pilot license.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT ON TRAINING XCOUNTRY FLT. STUDENT PLT CHKED FUEL QUANTITY TWICE AND MISINTERPRETED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANKS. RPTR INSTRUCTOR SAYS THAT THE GAUGES WERE ALSO IN ERROR READING TOO HIGH. ACFT RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE FORCED LNDG ON HWY.

Narrative: ACFT MADE FORCED LNDG ON HWY NEAR EARLE, AR, DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ACFT, PEOPLE IN ACFT, OR PERSONS AND PROPERTY ON THE GND. PRIOR TO DEPARTING POINT OF ORIGIN, FUEL TANKS WERE VISUALLY INSPECTED BY MY STUDENT, WHILE I SUPERVISED. HE STATED THAT THE TANKS WERE FULL. FUEL GAUGES CONFIRMED THIS. ACFT DEPARTED OLV AND FLEW DIRECT TO HB2. IN HB2 (1 HR FLT) FUEL TANKS WERE AGAIN VISUALLY INSPECTED BY STUDENT, UNDER MY SUPERVISION. HE STATED THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE APPROX 2/3 FULL. FUEL GAUGES CONFIRMED. DEPARTED HB2 FOR OLV. OVER GQE VOR, ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. FORCED LNDG MADE. ACFT ON VFR FLT PLAN, AND IN CONTACT WITH MEMPHIS APCH CTL AT TIME OF INCIDENT. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT MY STUDENT MISREAD THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANKS IN BOTH OLV AND HB2. WHILE I SUPERVISED THE STUDENT CHKING THE TANKS, I DID NOT ACTUALLY CLB ON THE WING AND CHK THE TANKS AFTER HIM. INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. CORRECTIVE ACTION. ALWAYS VISUALLY CHK FUEL QUANTITY BEHIND STUDENT. EXPLAIN TO STUDENT THAT THE REASON THAT YOU ARE CHKING IS NOT BECAUSE YOU DON'T TRUST THEM, BUT TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. COVER EVEN MORE THOROUGHLY WITH STUDENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER PREFLT PROCS. EXPLAIN THAT YOU SHOULD NOT RELY TOO GREATLY ON FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES, THEY CAN BE INACCURATE. LEARN TO VISUALLY VERIFY ACCURATELY. IF POSSIBLE REFUEL AFTER EVERY STOP (I TEACH ALL MY STUDENTS THIS ALREADY, ESPECIALLY ON SOLO XCOUNTRIES). WE DID NOT REFUEL IN HB2 AS FBO WAS CLOSED. MAKE STICK OR PIPE TO PLACE DOWN IN FUEL TANK TO HELP STUDENT DETERMINE FUEL LEVEL. AT TIME OF INCIDENT, THE STUDENT AND I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WE RAN OUT OF FUEL. WE REWORKED OUR FUEL COMPUTATIONS TWICE, AND THEY WORKED OUT TO BE CORRECT. WE BOTH THOUGHT THE TANKS WERE FULL ON DEP, AS THE STUDENT VISUALLY VERIFIED, UNDER MY SUPERVISION. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES READING HIGHER THAN THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD. ONLY AFTER RETURN DID WE REALIZE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS PROBABLY NOT FULL OF FUEL ON OUR DEP, AS THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ACFT BEING FUELED THAT DAY. TWICE, THE AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS VISUALLY VERIFIED INACCURATELY. ACFT WAS REFUELED, AND DEPARTED FROM HWY WHICH HAD BEEN BLOCKED OFF BY STATE TROOPERS. RETURNED TO OLV WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS WAS A DUAL XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT FOR A STUDENT WORKING TOWARD HIS PVT PLT LICENSE.

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.