Narrative:

I flew a plane from fargo, nd, to williston, nd. I arrived and landed safely, but was nearly out of fuel (filled 39.9 gallons of 40 gallon cap). This ended in night VFR, so I was under minimums for fuel (dangerously). This was a result of a culmination of small sits which led to this incident. We left fargo with full fuel (just topped off) in a plane that I was somewhat unfamiliar with. Because this plane had 40 gallon tanks and our normal plane has 50 gallon tanks, I forgot to take that into account (I filed and opened a flight plan with 5 hours remarked as fuel amount). 30 mins into flight, we approached a thunderstorm wall extending from the northeast to southwest. We called FSS and was advised to head north, around the front. We did so, and this extended our trip some 70-90 mi. We landed in devils lake, nd, at approximately XD00 for a bio-break and then departed. Approximately 1/2 way between minot, nd, and williston, nd, I noticed that we were very low on fuel. By now it was night, and I was nervous about a low fuel landing on a rural airport that I wasn't familiar with, so I put the plane in a slow 150 FPM climb in the case that we might run out of fuel so I might glide in. We did successfully arrive and land. The problem was a chain of events: 1) WX diversion increased en route time. 2) stop that consumed fuel. 3) failure to use mixture between stop and discovery of problem. 4) stronger headwinds than expected. That, combined with my initial belief that we had 5 hours of fuel led to the incident. I believe the climb to 10000 ft, re-leaning the mix, and slowing a bit helped conserve enough fuel to just make it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT CAME WITHIN PT 1 GALLON OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I FLEW A PLANE FROM FARGO, ND, TO WILLISTON, ND. I ARRIVED AND LANDED SAFELY, BUT WAS NEARLY OUT OF FUEL (FILLED 39.9 GALLONS OF 40 GALLON CAP). THIS ENDED IN NIGHT VFR, SO I WAS UNDER MINIMUMS FOR FUEL (DANGEROUSLY). THIS WAS A RESULT OF A CULMINATION OF SMALL SITS WHICH LED TO THIS INCIDENT. WE LEFT FARGO WITH FULL FUEL (JUST TOPPED OFF) IN A PLANE THAT I WAS SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH. BECAUSE THIS PLANE HAD 40 GALLON TANKS AND OUR NORMAL PLANE HAS 50 GALLON TANKS, I FORGOT TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT (I FILED AND OPENED A FLT PLAN WITH 5 HRS REMARKED AS FUEL AMOUNT). 30 MINS INTO FLT, WE APCHED A TSTM WALL EXTENDING FROM THE NE TO SW. WE CALLED FSS AND WAS ADVISED TO HEAD N, AROUND THE FRONT. WE DID SO, AND THIS EXTENDED OUR TRIP SOME 70-90 MI. WE LANDED IN DEVILS LAKE, ND, AT APPROX XD00 FOR A BIO-BREAK AND THEN DEPARTED. APPROX 1/2 WAY BTWN MINOT, ND, AND WILLISTON, ND, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE VERY LOW ON FUEL. BY NOW IT WAS NIGHT, AND I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT A LOW FUEL LNDG ON A RURAL ARPT THAT I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH, SO I PUT THE PLANE IN A SLOW 150 FPM CLB IN THE CASE THAT WE MIGHT RUN OUT OF FUEL SO I MIGHT GLIDE IN. WE DID SUCCESSFULLY ARRIVE AND LAND. THE PROB WAS A CHAIN OF EVENTS: 1) WX DIVERSION INCREASED ENRTE TIME. 2) STOP THAT CONSUMED FUEL. 3) FAILURE TO USE MIXTURE BTWN STOP AND DISCOVERY OF PROB. 4) STRONGER HEADWINDS THAN EXPECTED. THAT, COMBINED WITH MY INITIAL BELIEF THAT WE HAD 5 HRS OF FUEL LED TO THE INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE CLB TO 10000 FT, RE-LEANING THE MIX, AND SLOWING A BIT HELPED CONSERVE ENOUGH FUEL TO JUST MAKE IT.

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.