Narrative:

On may/xx/98, I rented a C152 from the FBO at ZZZ. The flight was to be an approximately 50 min cross country pleasure trip with a passenger. The aircraft was reserved with a block of 3 hours starting at XA45. During preflight, while checking the tanks visually, I was surprised to find the tanks not topped off and estimated the fuel to be 2 inches below the filler hole or approximately 3/4 full. I rationalized this condition by possibly the lineman being in a hurry or perhaps a summer policy for aircraft performance. (The owner of the FBO later stated that his aircraft are often not topped off for performance reasons.) after engine start I was surprised to find the fuel gauges indicating between 1/4 and 1/3 on each tank. I was concerned enough to make several comments to my passenger about the accuracy of the gauges. After a normal run-up takeoff and en route to the destination I continued to be concerned with the fuel gauge reading. I reviewed the performance manual several times to confirm my range and endurance even using worse case of the gauges being accurate. I should have had enough for destination. Approximately 4 mi from landing, with the left tank reading 'east' and the right tank reading '1/4' the engine stopped. An off airport landing was made in a large pasture. The engine continued to idle after coming to a stop. Upon securing the aircraft, I visually checked the fuel in the wings with the left one having approximately 1/2 inches and the right one having approximately 2 inches. I restarted the aircraft and taxied to the edge of the pasture bordered by a gravel road. I called, by cell phone, the FBO and advised I had experienced an engine failure which appeared to be fuel related but that there was fuel in the aircraft. At my original destination airport, approximately 1 hour later, I met the recovery aircraft with the mechanic and flew to the pasture. After checking the downed aircraft, the mechanic stated that it was out of fuel. I tried to verify the amount of fuel with a screwdriver handle and flashlight. Again, I saw 1/2 inches in the left tank and approximately 2 inches or more in the right tank. Under these circumstances, the mechanic and I were never able to come to an agreement on the amount of fuel in the tanks. Automatic fuel was added and the aircraft was flown to a nearby airport (tup) and topped off. Flight was then continued to the original departure airport. After speaking with several mechanics, reviewing the aircraft flight manual, studying the physical shape of the fuel tank and calculating the fuel added minus the fuel burn, I believe the left tank was empty. (All I saw was the 'unburnable' .75 gals.) the right tank had 1.5-2.0 gals of burnable fuel in it. I do not know why it would not feed the engine. (Possibly, a slightly clogged fuel strainer?)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 MADE AN OFF FIELD LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: ON MAY/XX/98, I RENTED A C152 FROM THE FBO AT ZZZ. THE FLT WAS TO BE AN APPROX 50 MIN XCOUNTRY PLEASURE TRIP WITH A PAX. THE ACFT WAS RESERVED WITH A BLOCK OF 3 HRS STARTING AT XA45. DURING PREFLT, WHILE CHKING THE TANKS VISUALLY, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THE TANKS NOT TOPPED OFF AND ESTIMATED THE FUEL TO BE 2 INCHES BELOW THE FILLER HOLE OR APPROX 3/4 FULL. I RATIONALIZED THIS CONDITION BY POSSIBLY THE LINEMAN BEING IN A HURRY OR PERHAPS A SUMMER POLICY FOR ACFT PERFORMANCE. (THE OWNER OF THE FBO LATER STATED THAT HIS ACFT ARE OFTEN NOT TOPPED OFF FOR PERFORMANCE REASONS.) AFTER ENG START I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATING BTWN 1/4 AND 1/3 ON EACH TANK. I WAS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO MAKE SEVERAL COMMENTS TO MY PAX ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE GAUGES. AFTER A NORMAL RUN-UP TKOF AND ENRTE TO THE DEST I CONTINUED TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE FUEL GAUGE READING. I REVIEWED THE PERFORMANCE MANUAL SEVERAL TIMES TO CONFIRM MY RANGE AND ENDURANCE EVEN USING WORSE CASE OF THE GAUGES BEING ACCURATE. I SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH FOR DEST. APPROX 4 MI FROM LNDG, WITH THE L TANK READING 'E' AND THE R TANK READING '1/4' THE ENG STOPPED. AN OFF ARPT LNDG WAS MADE IN A LARGE PASTURE. THE ENG CONTINUED TO IDLE AFTER COMING TO A STOP. UPON SECURING THE ACFT, I VISUALLY CHKED THE FUEL IN THE WINGS WITH THE L ONE HAVING APPROX 1/2 INCHES AND THE R ONE HAVING APPROX 2 INCHES. I RESTARTED THE ACFT AND TAXIED TO THE EDGE OF THE PASTURE BORDERED BY A GRAVEL ROAD. I CALLED, BY CELL PHONE, THE FBO AND ADVISED I HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE WHICH APPEARED TO BE FUEL RELATED BUT THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN THE ACFT. AT MY ORIGINAL DEST ARPT, APPROX 1 HR LATER, I MET THE RECOVERY ACFT WITH THE MECH AND FLEW TO THE PASTURE. AFTER CHKING THE DOWNED ACFT, THE MECH STATED THAT IT WAS OUT OF FUEL. I TRIED TO VERIFY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL WITH A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE AND FLASHLIGHT. AGAIN, I SAW 1/2 INCHES IN THE L TANK AND APPROX 2 INCHES OR MORE IN THE R TANK. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE MECH AND I WERE NEVER ABLE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. AUTO FUEL WAS ADDED AND THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO A NEARBY ARPT (TUP) AND TOPPED OFF. FLT WAS THEN CONTINUED TO THE ORIGINAL DEP ARPT. AFTER SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL MECHS, REVIEWING THE ACFT FLT MANUAL, STUDYING THE PHYSICAL SHAPE OF THE FUEL TANK AND CALCULATING THE FUEL ADDED MINUS THE FUEL BURN, I BELIEVE THE L TANK WAS EMPTY. (ALL I SAW WAS THE 'UNBURNABLE' .75 GALS.) THE R TANK HAD 1.5-2.0 GALS OF BURNABLE FUEL IN IT. I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT WOULD NOT FEED THE ENG. (POSSIBLY, A SLIGHTLY CLOGGED FUEL STRAINER?)

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.