Narrative:

During preflight, I dipsticked both fuel tanks. Stick indicated approximately 10 gallons each tank. On checking the fuel gauges, the right gauge showed near empty and the left gauge showed approximately 1/2. The mission was to tow club sail planes. Lgc airport management would not allow local training flts during a wkday, even though it was a holiday, so the plan was to launch the sail planes, have them fly to pim airport, and train there. The density altitude was approximately 2400 ft. The first tow was an L23 with 2 aboard. Minimum lift was observed during the tow, so that flight continued a pwred climb to approximately 4000 ft to less than 5 mi from pim when the glider dropped off tow. I returned for a second tow of a K6. The tow went to 3500 ft approximately 7 mi southeast of lgc. I returned to lgc for a third tow of another K6. The tow continued as a pwred climb to over 4200 ft to less than 2 mi from pim when the glider dropped off tow. The continuing pwred climb was performed to give the glider the maximum working altitude and maintain a safe slow tow speed. Upon dropping the K6 over pim, I received a call asking me to land at pim and tow the L23 off for a pattern flight. I informed the L23 pilot that I would need to refuel after that tow. I towed the L23 off runway 27 and proceeded northwest while climbing. The L23 dropped off tow at approximately 2900 ft and I proceeded on course toward lgc. While cruising at approximately 3200 ft, 9 mi northwest of pim, I experienced an engine stoppage. All instruments were in the green except fuel pressure. The right gauge still showed near zero and the left gauge showed between 0 and 1/4. I switched the fuel selector to the left tank and then the right tank, and still couldn't get fuel. During that time, I looked for alternate landing fields. I turned east and headed toward a sod farm that has a private strip while searching other sites. I selected 7700 on the transponder. I called mayday on the frequency that I was on (122.8 the pim unicom frequency). I then changed to 121.5 and repeated the mayday call with my position. When it became obvious that I would not be able to glide to the sod farm strip, I set up an approach to a farm field that I had idented as an alternate site. I landed up hill in the field and stopped in 300-400 ft. There was no damage to the aircraft or property, and no injuries to myself or anyone else. I received a call from one of the gliders that I had towed and answered him on my handheld radio. The frequency was congested and we switched to another. I gave him a report of my location and condition, which he replied to the other aircraft. I next called 911. I gave them my information and asked them to call the FAA. The harris county 911 center answered the call and aid that I was in troup county. I also told them that there was no emergency and asked that to call any responding services to reduce the chances of a high speed vehicle accident. They replied that they would inform troup county emergency services. I called one of our a&P's on my cell phone. He drove to the landing site. We determined that I had experienced fuel exhaustion and that the aircraft had not been damaged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C175 GLIDER TOW PLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL DURING GLIDER TOW AND WAS FORCED TO LAND OFF FIELD RESULTING IN NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, I DIPSTICKED BOTH FUEL TANKS. STICK INDICATED APPROX 10 GALLONS EACH TANK. ON CHKING THE FUEL GAUGES, THE R GAUGE SHOWED NEAR EMPTY AND THE L GAUGE SHOWED APPROX 1/2. THE MISSION WAS TO TOW CLUB SAIL PLANES. LGC ARPT MGMNT WOULD NOT ALLOW LCL TRAINING FLTS DURING A WKDAY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A HOLIDAY, SO THE PLAN WAS TO LAUNCH THE SAIL PLANES, HAVE THEM FLY TO PIM ARPT, AND TRAIN THERE. THE DENSITY ALT WAS APPROX 2400 FT. THE FIRST TOW WAS AN L23 WITH 2 ABOARD. MINIMUM LIFT WAS OBSERVED DURING THE TOW, SO THAT FLT CONTINUED A PWRED CLB TO APPROX 4000 FT TO LESS THAN 5 MI FROM PIM WHEN THE GLIDER DROPPED OFF TOW. I RETURNED FOR A SECOND TOW OF A K6. THE TOW WENT TO 3500 FT APPROX 7 MI SE OF LGC. I RETURNED TO LGC FOR A THIRD TOW OF ANOTHER K6. THE TOW CONTINUED AS A PWRED CLB TO OVER 4200 FT TO LESS THAN 2 MI FROM PIM WHEN THE GLIDER DROPPED OFF TOW. THE CONTINUING PWRED CLB WAS PERFORMED TO GIVE THE GLIDER THE MAX WORKING ALT AND MAINTAIN A SAFE SLOW TOW SPD. UPON DROPPING THE K6 OVER PIM, I RECEIVED A CALL ASKING ME TO LAND AT PIM AND TOW THE L23 OFF FOR A PATTERN FLT. I INFORMED THE L23 PLT THAT I WOULD NEED TO REFUEL AFTER THAT TOW. I TOWED THE L23 OFF RWY 27 AND PROCEEDED NW WHILE CLBING. THE L23 DROPPED OFF TOW AT APPROX 2900 FT AND I PROCEEDED ON COURSE TOWARD LGC. WHILE CRUISING AT APPROX 3200 FT, 9 MI NW OF PIM, I EXPERIENCED AN ENG STOPPAGE. ALL INSTS WERE IN THE GREEN EXCEPT FUEL PRESSURE. THE R GAUGE STILL SHOWED NEAR ZERO AND THE L GAUGE SHOWED BTWN 0 AND 1/4. I SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE L TANK AND THEN THE R TANK, AND STILL COULDN'T GET FUEL. DURING THAT TIME, I LOOKED FOR ALTERNATE LNDG FIELDS. I TURNED E AND HEADED TOWARD A SOD FARM THAT HAS A PVT STRIP WHILE SEARCHING OTHER SITES. I SELECTED 7700 ON THE XPONDER. I CALLED MAYDAY ON THE FREQ THAT I WAS ON (122.8 THE PIM UNICOM FREQ). I THEN CHANGED TO 121.5 AND REPEATED THE MAYDAY CALL WITH MY POS. WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GLIDE TO THE SOD FARM STRIP, I SET UP AN APCH TO A FARM FIELD THAT I HAD IDENTED AS AN ALTERNATE SITE. I LANDED UP HILL IN THE FIELD AND STOPPED IN 300-400 FT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY, AND NO INJURIES TO MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ONE OF THE GLIDERS THAT I HAD TOWED AND ANSWERED HIM ON MY HANDHELD RADIO. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED AND WE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER. I GAVE HIM A RPT OF MY LOCATION AND CONDITION, WHICH HE REPLIED TO THE OTHER ACFT. I NEXT CALLED 911. I GAVE THEM MY INFO AND ASKED THEM TO CALL THE FAA. THE HARRIS COUNTY 911 CTR ANSWERED THE CALL AND AID THAT I WAS IN TROUP COUNTY. I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT THERE WAS NO EMER AND ASKED THAT TO CALL ANY RESPONDING SVCS TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF A HIGH SPD VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THEY REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD INFORM TROUP COUNTY EMER SVCS. I CALLED ONE OF OUR A&P'S ON MY CELL PHONE. HE DROVE TO THE LNDG SITE. WE DETERMINED THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN DAMAGED.

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.