C182 made a forced landing caused by fuel starvation.

Attributes
ACN	413050
Time
Date	199808
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den airport : den
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	413050
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Fuel starvation. The aircraft is equipped with bladder fuel tanks. I had used a measuring dipstick to check fuel. Tanks were full. Tanks hold 60 gallons total, at least 4 hours of fuel. After flying, and in the descent, the engine stopped. This was 2 hours 55 mins into the flight. I executed a fantastic emergency landing into a gravel pit. Very minor damage to propeller and shimmy damper (at night/dusk). Lucky! It appears that some of the snaps that hold the bladder for the tanks had come loose. I had no idea of the actual volume of fuel in the tanks. I thought I had 4 hours, instead I had less than 3. Mechanics fixed tank snaps and it appears that this has been corrected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the FAA has reviewed the situation and classified it as an incident and not pilot error although they indicated that the dipstick is not an 'approved' item. Reporter has not heard of such a situation before. When the mechanics checked the wing they found the snaps or clips which hold the bladder to the top of the wing had come loose. This is a skydiving aircraft and reporter wonders if the rapid dscnts and steep turns used in the operation might have some relevance to this problem. It is a 1957 aircraft and he has no knowledge of when the bladders were installed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 MADE A FORCED LNDG CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: FUEL STARVATION. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH BLADDER FUEL TANKS. I HAD USED A MEASURING DIPSTICK TO CHK FUEL. TANKS WERE FULL. TANKS HOLD 60 GALLONS TOTAL, AT LEAST 4 HRS OF FUEL. AFTER FLYING, AND IN THE DSCNT, THE ENG STOPPED. THIS WAS 2 HRS 55 MINS INTO THE FLT. I EXECUTED A FANTASTIC EMER LNDG INTO A GRAVEL PIT. VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO PROP AND SHIMMY DAMPER (AT NIGHT/DUSK). LUCKY! IT APPEARS THAT SOME OF THE SNAPS THAT HOLD THE BLADDER FOR THE TANKS HAD COME LOOSE. I HAD NO IDEA OF THE ACTUAL VOLUME OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. I THOUGHT I HAD 4 HRS, INSTEAD I HAD LESS THAN 3. MECHS FIXED TANK SNAPS AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN CORRECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE FAA HAS REVIEWED THE SIT AND CLASSIFIED IT AS AN INCIDENT AND NOT PLT ERROR ALTHOUGH THEY INDICATED THAT THE DIPSTICK IS NOT AN 'APPROVED' ITEM. RPTR HAS NOT HEARD OF SUCH A SIT BEFORE. WHEN THE MECHS CHKED THE WING THEY FOUND THE SNAPS OR CLIPS WHICH HOLD THE BLADDER TO THE TOP OF THE WING HAD COME LOOSE. THIS IS A SKYDIVING ACFT AND RPTR WONDERS IF THE RAPID DSCNTS AND STEEP TURNS USED IN THE OP MIGHT HAVE SOME RELEVANCE TO THIS PROB. IT IS A 1957 ACFT AND HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHEN THE BLADDERS WERE INSTALLED.

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.