Pilot of PA28-181 experiences fuel exhaustion and diverts to land at nearby airport.

Attributes
ACN	382967
Time
Date	199710
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nuq airport : pao
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : nuq
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 250 flight time type : 58
ASRS Report	382967
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Event: fuel exhaustion en route to pao resulted in unplanned landing at moffett. Cause: failure to verify full fuel during preflight. Failure to appropriately acknowledge lower than expected fuel gauge readings. Prevention: improve attention to fuel measurement during preflight. Acceptance of problem when symptoms exist. Thorough flight planning -- especially fuel for taxi and climb.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA28-181 EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION AND DIVERTS TO LAND AT NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: EVENT: FUEL EXHAUSTION ENRTE TO PAO RESULTED IN UNPLANNED LNDG AT MOFFETT. CAUSE: FAILURE TO VERIFY FULL FUEL DURING PREFLT. FAILURE TO APPROPRIATELY ACKNOWLEDGE LOWER THAN EXPECTED FUEL GAUGE READINGS. PREVENTION: IMPROVE ATTN TO FUEL MEASUREMENT DURING PREFLT. ACCEPTANCE OF PROB WHEN SYMPTOMS EXIST. THOROUGH FLT PLANNING -- ESPECIALLY FUEL FOR TAXI AND CLB.

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.