Narrative:

A 500 NM round trip flight was planned leaving from vandenburg, fl (vdf) to cordele, GA (ckf). Estimated time en route was 5.5 hours. The flight went as planned. I left with 24 gallons of fuel and purchased another 12 gallons in cordele. 1 hour of fuel was expected to be remaining after the flight. About 5.7 hours into the flight, a loss of engine power occurred due to fuel starvation. I was 13 NM north of vandenburg and 2 NM north of tampa north airport (X39). I prepared to make an emergency landing on interstate 75. I ended up landing on the interstate, rolling about 100 yards, and regaining enough power to make a small climb and a right turn to land at tampa north. I landed safely without damage or injury. Some of the contributing factors were: stronger winds than expected, more fuel burned than expected (I planned for 5.5 gph and actually burned about 6.5 gph), small detours around smoke and wild fires burning along the route of flight. I also didn't consider all factors involved in wear and tear on the airframe, engine, and propeller. I believed that the given information in the operators handbook was fairly accurate, when in fact it is only a reference. I made a poor judgement on my flight plan for fuel burned en route. I should have completely filled up the tanks instead of only adding 12 gallons. Corrective actions: better flight planning, require aircraft and engine manufacturers to give more accurate data on fuel consumption, create a way to update data annually with flight tests performed by the aircraft owner. (The information and data I used was from the early 1970's.) something should be done to update old and outdated information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT TOUCHED DOWN ON AN INTERSTATE HWY DURING AN EMER FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK OFF AND LANDED AT NEARBY DEST ARPT AFTER REGAINING SUFFICIENT ENG PWR.

Narrative: A 500 NM ROUND TRIP FLT WAS PLANNED LEAVING FROM VANDENBURG, FL (VDF) TO CORDELE, GA (CKF). ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE WAS 5.5 HRS. THE FLT WENT AS PLANNED. I LEFT WITH 24 GALLONS OF FUEL AND PURCHASED ANOTHER 12 GALLONS IN CORDELE. 1 HR OF FUEL WAS EXPECTED TO BE REMAINING AFTER THE FLT. ABOUT 5.7 HRS INTO THE FLT, A LOSS OF ENG PWR OCCURRED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. I WAS 13 NM N OF VANDENBURG AND 2 NM N OF TAMPA NORTH ARPT (X39). I PREPARED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG ON INTERSTATE 75. I ENDED UP LNDG ON THE INTERSTATE, ROLLING ABOUT 100 YARDS, AND REGAINING ENOUGH PWR TO MAKE A SMALL CLB AND A R TURN TO LAND AT TAMPA NORTH. I LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT DAMAGE OR INJURY. SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: STRONGER WINDS THAN EXPECTED, MORE FUEL BURNED THAN EXPECTED (I PLANNED FOR 5.5 GPH AND ACTUALLY BURNED ABOUT 6.5 GPH), SMALL DETOURS AROUND SMOKE AND WILD FIRES BURNING ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. I ALSO DIDN'T CONSIDER ALL FACTORS INVOLVED IN WEAR AND TEAR ON THE AIRFRAME, ENG, AND PROP. I BELIEVED THAT THE GIVEN INFO IN THE OPERATORS HANDBOOK WAS FAIRLY ACCURATE, WHEN IN FACT IT IS ONLY A REF. I MADE A POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY FLT PLAN FOR FUEL BURNED ENRTE. I SHOULD HAVE COMPLETELY FILLED UP THE TANKS INSTEAD OF ONLY ADDING 12 GALLONS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: BETTER FLT PLANNING, REQUIRE ACFT AND ENG MANUFACTURERS TO GIVE MORE ACCURATE DATA ON FUEL CONSUMPTION, CREATE A WAY TO UPDATE DATA ANNUALLY WITH FLT TESTS PERFORMED BY THE ACFT OWNER. (THE INFO AND DATA I USED WAS FROM THE EARLY 1970'S.) SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO UPDATE OLD AND OUTDATED INFO.

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.