Narrative:

While on a cross country flight in VMC, and on an IFR flight plan, all fuel had been exhausted. An on-airport, power-off landing was made on runway 21 at msn. The flight had been planned from 1d2, plymouth canton mettetal, in michigan to dll, dells baraboo, in wisconsin. According to the performance charts in the aircraft, poh fuel burn should have been no more than 6 gph. The aircraft was topped off with fuel just prior to departure from 1d2 (XC33 EDT). The departure time was XC55Z. Visual verification of full fuel was performed by the following: fuel quantity indicator gauges showing needles in above full fuel position. Fuel dripping from the fuel tank vent opening. Removal of fuel caps to verify full fuel in each tank. At XD03Z I was cleared direct to dll and was informed it was 30 mi from my location and on a heading of 303 degrees. This matched my information that was obtained by xrefing msn/dll vors. During my preflight planning calculations, I had determined there would be 4 hours of fuel on board -- 24.5 gallons usable. FBO put 26 gallons of fuel in the tanks. The aircraft ran dry of fuel in less than 3 1/4 hours. This would require a fuel consumption of 8 gph which is well above the aircraft poh performance chart's maximum fuel usage. The power was set at 2400 RPM and the mixture was leaned according to cessna recommended procedures. There were no indications of mechanical malfunctions prior to or during the flight. Only a possible indication after the flight. A possible factor contributing to excessive fuel consumption may be a leak in the right fuel tank quick drain valve which may have occurred from the choppy flight conditions. No fuel was seen dripping out of the quick drain valve after the preflight inspection fuel sample was obtained. There was, however, visual evidence that fuel had leaked out from that area during flight by fuel stains under the wing, and the under side of the flap.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CESSNA PLT HAD FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL TANK LEAKAGE AND FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: WHILE ON A XCOUNTRY FLT IN VMC, AND ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, ALL FUEL HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED. AN ON-ARPT, PWR-OFF LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 21 AT MSN. THE FLT HAD BEEN PLANNED FROM 1D2, PLYMOUTH CANTON METTETAL, IN MICHIGAN TO DLL, DELLS BARABOO, IN WISCONSIN. ACCORDING TO THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS IN THE ACFT, POH FUEL BURN SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO MORE THAN 6 GPH. THE ACFT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL JUST PRIOR TO DEP FROM 1D2 (XC33 EDT). THE DEP TIME WAS XC55Z. VISUAL VERIFICATION OF FULL FUEL WAS PERFORMED BY THE FOLLOWING: FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR GAUGES SHOWING NEEDLES IN ABOVE FULL FUEL POS. FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE FUEL TANK VENT OPENING. REMOVAL OF FUEL CAPS TO VERIFY FULL FUEL IN EACH TANK. AT XD03Z I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO DLL AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS 30 MI FROM MY LOCATION AND ON A HDG OF 303 DEGS. THIS MATCHED MY INFO THAT WAS OBTAINED BY XREFING MSN/DLL VORS. DURING MY PREFLT PLANNING CALCULATIONS, I HAD DETERMINED THERE WOULD BE 4 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD -- 24.5 GALLONS USABLE. FBO PUT 26 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. THE ACFT RAN DRY OF FUEL IN LESS THAN 3 1/4 HRS. THIS WOULD REQUIRE A FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 8 GPH WHICH IS WELL ABOVE THE ACFT POH PERFORMANCE CHART'S MAX FUEL USAGE. THE PWR WAS SET AT 2400 RPM AND THE MIXTURE WAS LEANED ACCORDING TO CESSNA RECOMMENDED PROCS. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS PRIOR TO OR DURING THE FLT. ONLY A POSSIBLE INDICATION AFTER THE FLT. A POSSIBLE FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION MAY BE A LEAK IN THE R FUEL TANK QUICK DRAIN VALVE WHICH MAY HAVE OCCURRED FROM THE CHOPPY FLT CONDITIONS. NO FUEL WAS SEEN DRIPPING OUT OF THE QUICK DRAIN VALVE AFTER THE PREFLT INSPECTION FUEL SAMPLE WAS OBTAINED. THERE WAS, HOWEVER, VISUAL EVIDENCE THAT FUEL HAD LEAKED OUT FROM THAT AREA DURING FLT BY FUEL STAINS UNDER THE WING, AND THE UNDER SIDE OF THE FLAP.

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.