Narrative:

I was asked to fly another person's airplane on a flight between 2 uncontrolled GA airports, about 45 mins apart, under day VFR conditions. I checked with FSS and received a WX report, measured the round-trip distance on a current sectional chart, computed flight time, and used the manufacturer's poh to calculate fuel needed. To this, I added additional fuel for a part 91 day VFR fuel reserve. The owner fueled the airplane, checking the amount of fuel with a home made dipstick, which showed slightly more fuel on board than my flight planning showed was needed. I filed a VFR flight plan, took off, activated with FSS, and flew the first segment without trouble (winds were light and variable and flight time was within 5 mins of that planned). On the return flight, just before entering the traffic pattern, the engine began running rough. I thought it was carburetor ice, and applied carburetor heat, without effect. (One fuel tank showed almost empty, the other more than 1/2 full.) I advised ATC of a possible carburetor ice problem, and landed on the runway at the destination airport without damage, and without needing emergency services. I conducted a postflt and was surprised to find the fuel tanks almost empty, and believe that the problem was pending fuel exhaustion rather than carburetor ice. (The owner later told me that the engine was several hundred hours over tbo, had a fuel burn much higher than the poh said, and that the fuel gauges didn't work right.) from this, I have learned a lesson about flying cross country in other people's elderly airplanes that burn more gas than the published figures!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT, AFTER FLYING A ROUND ROBIN TO AN ARPT 45 MINS AWAY, LANDED ON THE VERGE OF FUEL STARVATION, AT THE DEST.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO FLY ANOTHER PERSON'S AIRPLANE ON A FLT BTWN 2 UNCTLED GA ARPTS, ABOUT 45 MINS APART, UNDER DAY VFR CONDITIONS. I CHKED WITH FSS AND RECEIVED A WX RPT, MEASURED THE ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE ON A CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART, COMPUTED FLT TIME, AND USED THE MANUFACTURER'S POH TO CALCULATE FUEL NEEDED. TO THIS, I ADDED ADDITIONAL FUEL FOR A PART 91 DAY VFR FUEL RESERVE. THE OWNER FUELED THE AIRPLANE, CHKING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL WITH A HOME MADE DIPSTICK, WHICH SHOWED SLIGHTLY MORE FUEL ON BOARD THAN MY FLT PLANNING SHOWED WAS NEEDED. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN, TOOK OFF, ACTIVATED WITH FSS, AND FLEW THE FIRST SEGMENT WITHOUT TROUBLE (WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND FLT TIME WAS WITHIN 5 MINS OF THAT PLANNED). ON THE RETURN FLT, JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. I THOUGHT IT WAS CARB ICE, AND APPLIED CARB HEAT, WITHOUT EFFECT. (ONE FUEL TANK SHOWED ALMOST EMPTY, THE OTHER MORE THAN 1/2 FULL.) I ADVISED ATC OF A POSSIBLE CARB ICE PROB, AND LANDED ON THE RWY AT THE DEST ARPT WITHOUT DAMAGE, AND WITHOUT NEEDING EMER SVCS. I CONDUCTED A POSTFLT AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THE FUEL TANKS ALMOST EMPTY, AND BELIEVE THAT THE PROB WAS PENDING FUEL EXHAUSTION RATHER THAN CARB ICE. (THE OWNER LATER TOLD ME THAT THE ENG WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED HRS OVER TBO, HAD A FUEL BURN MUCH HIGHER THAN THE POH SAID, AND THAT THE FUEL GAUGES DIDN'T WORK RIGHT.) FROM THIS, I HAVE LEARNED A LESSON ABOUT FLYING XCOUNTRY IN OTHER PEOPLE'S ELDERLY AIRPLANES THAT BURN MORE GAS THAN THE PUBLISHED FIGURES!

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.