Narrative:

I took a passenger on a pleasure/sightseeing trip. This passenger had never flown in a small plane before. I spent too much of my attention explaining aerodynamics and navigation to my passenger, and not enough attention on flying the aircraft. I failed to switch tanks during the flight and experienced fuel exhaustion in the left tank on short final. Contributing factors include that I am used to flying a similar plane with a smaller engine, so I can usually fly significantly longer on one tank than the 1.8 hours that I flew prior to exhaustion on this flight. Upon losing power, I requested a switch to runway 28R, which has an extension which I hoped to glide to. I aligned on runway 28R and attempted to glide to the extension. I touched down just short of the extension. After a couple of rough 'bounces' the plane rolled onto the extension. I taxied to the run-up area where I stopped and met airport personnel. Prior to touching down, I maneuvered to avoid airport lighting and piles of soil. After coasting to a stop in the run-up area, I realized that I had run out of fuel in the left tank. The damage was limited to a broken wheel fairing and a severed brake line. Pilot and passenger suffered no injuries. To avoid anything like this happening again, I will use checklists for every climb, every descent, every cruise, etc. The following is not an excuse, but a factor worth mentioning. I have been practicing for an instrument rating. I believe that I thought of this flight as 'just a VFR flight,' and therefore was complacent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT ON A PLEASURE FLT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION ON SHORT FINAL AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY.

Narrative: I TOOK A PAX ON A PLEASURE/SIGHTSEEING TRIP. THIS PAX HAD NEVER FLOWN IN A SMALL PLANE BEFORE. I SPENT TOO MUCH OF MY ATTN EXPLAINING AERODYNAMICS AND NAV TO MY PAX, AND NOT ENOUGH ATTN ON FLYING THE ACFT. I FAILED TO SWITCH TANKS DURING THE FLT AND EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION IN THE L TANK ON SHORT FINAL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THAT I AM USED TO FLYING A SIMILAR PLANE WITH A SMALLER ENG, SO I CAN USUALLY FLY SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER ON ONE TANK THAN THE 1.8 HRS THAT I FLEW PRIOR TO EXHAUSTION ON THIS FLT. UPON LOSING PWR, I REQUESTED A SWITCH TO RWY 28R, WHICH HAS AN EXTENSION WHICH I HOPED TO GLIDE TO. I ALIGNED ON RWY 28R AND ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO THE EXTENSION. I TOUCHED DOWN JUST SHORT OF THE EXTENSION. AFTER A COUPLE OF ROUGH 'BOUNCES' THE PLANE ROLLED ONTO THE EXTENSION. I TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA WHERE I STOPPED AND MET ARPT PERSONNEL. PRIOR TO TOUCHING DOWN, I MANEUVERED TO AVOID ARPT LIGHTING AND PILES OF SOIL. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP IN THE RUN-UP AREA, I REALIZED THAT I HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL IN THE L TANK. THE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A BROKEN WHEEL FAIRING AND A SEVERED BRAKE LINE. PLT AND PAX SUFFERED NO INJURIES. TO AVOID ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING AGAIN, I WILL USE CHKLISTS FOR EVERY CLB, EVERY DSCNT, EVERY CRUISE, ETC. THE FOLLOWING IS NOT AN EXCUSE, BUT A FACTOR WORTH MENTIONING. I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR AN INST RATING. I BELIEVE THAT I THOUGHT OF THIS FLT AS 'JUST A VFR FLT,' AND THEREFORE WAS COMPLACENT.

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.