Small aircraft aircraft. Student pilot ran out of gas and made forced landing into field close to ai...

Attributes
ACN	373651
Time
Date	199707
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : i69
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 21 flight time total : 55 flight time type : 46
ASRS Report	373651
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was planning a solo cross country flight to lexington, ky. One of the linemen from the FBO came to tell me that I may have to switch planes because the one that I was supposed to take would not be ready. I finished my planning and went to pick up the keys. The plane I was given had just returned from a training flight. The lineman and I discussed whether or not to fuel the plane. He said it had been fueled before the last flight which was only 1.5 hours. That should have left over 3 hours of fuel onboard. During preflight, I checked the quantity but did not have a gauge to measure the exact amount. The flight went fine except I was delayed a bit for traffic at lexington, I did not stop at the ramp. I taxied back for an immediate departure. On the return trip, I noticed the gauges reading very low, but assumed that I still had enough fuel. During the descent back to clermont county I leveled off a little higher than pattern altitude and the engine quit. It coughed but would not restart. I landed safely in a field after notifying the airport. After landing I checked the fuel and the left tank was completely empty but the right had a very small amount in it. This fuel was probably in the wingtip when I made a right turn to the field. Rescue crews came and left when they saw there was no accident. The mechanic from the airport said the plane was in fine condition. Fuel was added and an experienced pilot flew the plane back to the airport. The state highway patrol said they would not need to file a report because there was no damage. Later, I was told by the FBO that the plane had not been fueled before its previous flight as they had told me. It really had close to 3 hours of fuel out of it and it was not filled all the way to the top when it was fueled. As the pilot, I should have used an accurate measure of the fuel. I should not have believed exactly what I was told. Had I not believed there was more than an hour's worth of fuel, I think I would have trusted the gauges more and made a safe stop for fuel earlier. From now on, I will not leave the airport without topping off the tanks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT. STUDENT PLT RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE FORCED LNDG INTO FIELD CLOSE TO ARPT. NO DAMAGE. LINEMAN ADVISED ACFT HAD BEEN FULLY REFUELED JUST 1 PT 5 HRS OF FLT TIME PRIOR.

Narrative: I WAS PLANNING A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT TO LEXINGTON, KY. ONE OF THE LINEMEN FROM THE FBO CAME TO TELL ME THAT I MAY HAVE TO SWITCH PLANES BECAUSE THE ONE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE WOULD NOT BE READY. I FINISHED MY PLANNING AND WENT TO PICK UP THE KEYS. THE PLANE I WAS GIVEN HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRAINING FLT. THE LINEMAN AND I DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT TO FUEL THE PLANE. HE SAID IT HAD BEEN FUELED BEFORE THE LAST FLT WHICH WAS ONLY 1.5 HRS. THAT SHOULD HAVE LEFT OVER 3 HRS OF FUEL ONBOARD. DURING PREFLT, I CHKED THE QUANTITY BUT DID NOT HAVE A GAUGE TO MEASURE THE EXACT AMOUNT. THE FLT WENT FINE EXCEPT I WAS DELAYED A BIT FOR TFC AT LEXINGTON, I DID NOT STOP AT THE RAMP. I TAXIED BACK FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP. ON THE RETURN TRIP, I NOTICED THE GAUGES READING VERY LOW, BUT ASSUMED THAT I STILL HAD ENOUGH FUEL. DURING THE DSCNT BACK TO CLERMONT COUNTY I LEVELED OFF A LITTLE HIGHER THAN PATTERN ALT AND THE ENG QUIT. IT COUGHED BUT WOULD NOT RESTART. I LANDED SAFELY IN A FIELD AFTER NOTIFYING THE ARPT. AFTER LNDG I CHKED THE FUEL AND THE L TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY BUT THE R HAD A VERY SMALL AMOUNT IN IT. THIS FUEL WAS PROBABLY IN THE WINGTIP WHEN I MADE A R TURN TO THE FIELD. RESCUE CREWS CAME AND LEFT WHEN THEY SAW THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE MECH FROM THE ARPT SAID THE PLANE WAS IN FINE CONDITION. FUEL WAS ADDED AND AN EXPERIENCED PLT FLEW THE PLANE BACK TO THE ARPT. THE STATE HWY PATROL SAID THEY WOULD NOT NEED TO FILE A RPT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. LATER, I WAS TOLD BY THE FBO THAT THE PLANE HAD NOT BEEN FUELED BEFORE ITS PREVIOUS FLT AS THEY HAD TOLD ME. IT REALLY HAD CLOSE TO 3 HRS OF FUEL OUT OF IT AND IT WAS NOT FILLED ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP WHEN IT WAS FUELED. AS THE PLT, I SHOULD HAVE USED AN ACCURATE MEASURE OF THE FUEL. I SHOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TOLD. HAD I NOT BELIEVED THERE WAS MORE THAN AN HR'S WORTH OF FUEL, I THINK I WOULD HAVE TRUSTED THE GAUGES MORE AND MADE A SAFE STOP FOR FUEL EARLIER. FROM NOW ON, I WILL NOT LEAVE THE ARPT WITHOUT TOPPING OFF THE TANKS.

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.

Small aircraft aircraft. Student pilot ran out of gas and made forced landing into field close to airport. No damage. Lineman advised aircraft had been fully refueled just 1 pt 5 hours of flight time prior.