A low time private pilot in a C152 runs out of fuel after half an hour of flight and gets a vector f...

Attributes
ACN	534229
Time
Date	200201
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : i69.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 230 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	534229
Person 2
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During my preflight inspection of he aircraft I made a visual check of the gas tanks and noticed they were apparently half full. I asked my flight school attendant how much gas was missing and he said 1 hour. After flying for half an hour the engine sputtered and quit. I called clg approach for vectors to clermont and to declare emergency which I though to be (and was) the closest field. By playing with throttle, mixture, starter, and primer I kept restarting the engine and eventually made it to clermont. The engine actually regained power entirely about 1 mile southwest of the field. I flew the entire traffic pattern and landed. I taxiied back to parking area and called a mechanic to see what went wrong and cincinnati approach to tell them I made it down safely. The mechanic found in short order that the plane had used 25 of it's 24.5 useable gallon of gas. I was embarrassed, but lucky not to have suffered worse. From the incident I learned never to rely on someone else's information about your flight. I should have found a better way to confirm how much fuel was missing from my tanks. I would recommend never leaving the airport without full tanks or measuring the gas with some sort of accurate visual instrument.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME PVT PLT IN A C152 RUNS OUT OF FUEL AFTER HALF AN HOUR OF FLT AND GETS A VECTOR FROM CVG APCH CTLR FOR AN EMER LNDG AT I69, OH.

Narrative: DURING MY PREFLT INSPECTION OF HE ACFT I MADE A VISUAL CHK OF THE GAS TANKS AND NOTICED THEY WERE APPARENTLY HALF FULL. I ASKED MY FLT SCHOOL ATTENDANT HOW MUCH GAS WAS MISSING AND HE SAID 1 HOUR. AFTER FLYING FOR HALF AN HOUR THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. I CALLED CLG APCH FOR VECTORS TO CLERMONT AND TO DECLARE EMER WHICH I THOUGH TO BE (AND WAS) THE CLOSEST FIELD. BY PLAYING WITH THROTTLE, MIXTURE, STARTER, AND PRIMER I KEPT RESTARTING THE ENGINE AND EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO CLERMONT. THE ENGINE ACTUALLY REGAINED PWR ENTIRELY ABOUT 1 MILE SW OF THE FIELD. I FLEW THE ENTIRE TFC PATTERN AND LANDED. I TAXIIED BACK TO PARKING AREA AND CALLED A MECHANIC TO SEE WHAT WENT WRONG AND CINCINNATI APCH TO TELL THEM I MADE IT DOWN SAFELY. THE MECHANIC FOUND IN SHORT ORDER THAT THE PLANE HAD USED 25 OF IT'S 24.5 USEABLE GALLON OF GAS. I WAS EMBARRASSED, BUT LUCKY NOT TO HAVE SUFFERED WORSE. FROM THE INCIDENT I LEARNED NEVER TO RELY ON SOMEONE ELSE'S INFO ABOUT YOUR FLT. I SHOULD HAVE FOUND A BETTER WAY TO CONFIRM HOW MUCH FUEL WAS MISSING FROM MY TANKS. I WOULD RECOMMEND NEVER LEAVING THE ARPT WITHOUT FULL TANKS OR MEASURING THE GAS WITH SOME SORT OF ACCURATE VISUAL INSTRUMENT.

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.

A low time private pilot in a C152 runs out of fuel after half an hour of flight and gets a vector from cvg approach controller for an emergency landing at I69, oh.