Narrative:

Engine failure from fuel starvation while towing a banner in downtown seattle. May not have had full tanks at departure or fuel leak, or excessive consumption due to load and temperature. Should have had a safe reserve. I did not use a ladder to verify tankage prior to flight. Future preflight should include that type of verification. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that when the engine quit he went out over the water to lose altitude and then dropped his banner in a parking lot. He then continued to a safe landing in a public park with no damage to the aircraft. He further stated that he was surprised to run out of fuel since he has towed the same banner many times. Reporter knows the rate of his aircraft's fuel consumption and fuel duration, therefore, believed that he had plenty of fuel still remaining. He went on to say that it is possible that fuel had been stolen from the aircraft while parked since the area has become unsecured recently due to construction. He stated that his C175 did have fuel stolen from it a few days earlier. However, since he did not rechk his fuel load prior to takeoff, he does not know for sure what happened to his fuel. He said that his aircraft has the big tundra tires, big engine with a constant speed propeller and a STOL kit, so it is easy to land in short areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BANNER TOWING C170 WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT LNDG IN A CITY PARK WHEN THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. EVEN THOUGH THE RPTR HAD NOT LOOKED INTO THE TANK PRIOR TO TKOF, HE HAD FUELED THE ACFT THE LAST TIME HE FLEW AND BELIEVED THAT HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE SAME TOW THAT HE HAD DONE MANY TIMES PRIOR. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: ENG FAILURE FROM FUEL STARVATION WHILE TOWING A BANNER IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE. MAY NOT HAVE HAD FULL TANKS AT DEP OR FUEL LEAK, OR EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION DUE TO LOAD AND TEMP. SHOULD HAVE HAD A SAFE RESERVE. I DID NOT USE A LADDER TO VERIFY TANKAGE PRIOR TO FLT. FUTURE PREFLT SHOULD INCLUDE THAT TYPE OF VERIFICATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT WHEN THE ENG QUIT HE WENT OUT OVER THE WATER TO LOSE ALT AND THEN DROPPED HIS BANNER IN A PARKING LOT. HE THEN CONTINUED TO A SAFE LNDG IN A PUBLIC PARK WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE WAS SURPRISED TO RUN OUT OF FUEL SINCE HE HAS TOWED THE SAME BANNER MANY TIMES. RPTR KNOWS THE RATE OF HIS ACFT'S FUEL CONSUMPTION AND FUEL DURATION, THEREFORE, BELIEVED THAT HE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL STILL REMAINING. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT FUEL HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM THE ACFT WHILE PARKED SINCE THE AREA HAS BECOME UNSECURED RECENTLY DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. HE STATED THAT HIS C175 DID HAVE FUEL STOLEN FROM IT A FEW DAYS EARLIER. HOWEVER, SINCE HE DID NOT RECHK HIS FUEL LOAD PRIOR TO TKOF, HE DOES NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS FUEL. HE SAID THAT HIS ACFT HAS THE BIG TUNDRA TIRES, BIG ENG WITH A CONSTANT SPD PROP AND A STOL KIT, SO IT IS EASY TO LAND IN SHORT AREAS.

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.