Narrative:

The flight had been normal from preflight through takeoff and most of the cruise portion of the flight. During cruise, about 10 NM from apple valley, ca, I encountered turbulence (at 6500 ft MSL) that caused the fuel in the right tank to slosh around, uncovering the intake to the fuel line. With air in the line the engine quit. Not having an electric boost pump to provide positive pressure to the carburetor, the engine could not start. Evaluating possible landing sites was next, even though it was ongoing throughout the flight. The surrounding area was desert with lots of obstructions, except for a small dirt road that I lined up on. The only problem was power poles and lines and an elevated hard surfaced road at the end of the dirt road. To make sure the aircraft would stop before the end, I flared the plane close to the ground to bleed off as much airspeed as possible, but leave enough to get the nose over so we didn't touch down in a stall. The forward momentum was absorbed by the landing gear, which kept us from back injuries. I had notified ATC (ZLA) the engine had quit and I was putting the airplane down. It was a very short time from when we stepped out of the airplane until the sheriff's helicopter arrived to transport us to the hospital. There was one other person in the airplane. Injuries were minor -- consisting of cuts to the left and right foreheads, respectively -- due to no shoulder harnesses installed. Preflight and en route fuel calculations confirmed there was enough fuel on board to get to apple valley.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA ATP PLT IN A HIGH WINGED PVT ACFT SUFFERS SOME SLIGHT INJURIES DURING AN OFF ARPT EMER FORCED LNDG WHEN HIS ENG STOPS BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION 10 NM E OF APV, CA.

Narrative: THE FLT HAD BEEN NORMAL FROM PREFLT THROUGH TKOF AND MOST OF THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE FLT. DURING CRUISE, ABOUT 10 NM FROM APPLE VALLEY, CA, I ENCOUNTERED TURB (AT 6500 FT MSL) THAT CAUSED THE FUEL IN THE R TANK TO SLOSH AROUND, UNCOVERING THE INTAKE TO THE FUEL LINE. WITH AIR IN THE LINE THE ENG QUIT. NOT HAVING AN ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP TO PROVIDE POSITIVE PRESSURE TO THE CARB, THE ENG COULD NOT START. EVALUATING POSSIBLE LNDG SITES WAS NEXT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONGOING THROUGHOUT THE FLT. THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS DESERT WITH LOTS OF OBSTRUCTIONS, EXCEPT FOR A SMALL DIRT ROAD THAT I LINED UP ON. THE ONLY PROB WAS PWR POLES AND LINES AND AN ELEVATED HARD SURFACED ROAD AT THE END OF THE DIRT ROAD. TO MAKE SURE THE ACFT WOULD STOP BEFORE THE END, I FLARED THE PLANE CLOSE TO THE GND TO BLEED OFF AS MUCH AIRSPD AS POSSIBLE, BUT LEAVE ENOUGH TO GET THE NOSE OVER SO WE DIDN'T TOUCH DOWN IN A STALL. THE FORWARD MOMENTUM WAS ABSORBED BY THE LNDG GEAR, WHICH KEPT US FROM BACK INJURIES. I HAD NOTIFIED ATC (ZLA) THE ENG HAD QUIT AND I WAS PUTTING THE AIRPLANE DOWN. IT WAS A VERY SHORT TIME FROM WHEN WE STEPPED OUT OF THE AIRPLANE UNTIL THE SHERIFF'S HELI ARRIVED TO TRANSPORT US TO THE HOSPITAL. THERE WAS ONE OTHER PERSON IN THE AIRPLANE. INJURIES WERE MINOR -- CONSISTING OF CUTS TO THE L AND R FOREHEADS, RESPECTIVELY -- DUE TO NO SHOULDER HARNESSES INSTALLED. PREFLT AND ENRTE FUEL CALCULATIONS CONFIRMED THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD TO GET TO APPLE VALLEY.

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.