Narrative:

Before I left on a VFR night flight from orangeburg municipal airport (ogb) to allendale county airport (88J), I untied the airplane and moved it away from others tied on the grass parking area, where I used a ruler to 'stick the tanks.' a reading of roughly 2 inches per tank, full being 7 inches. I calculated about 12 gallons total fuel on board. I have flown this route many times day and night and average about a 20 min flight. The aircraft burns 10 gph and I flight plan calculating 12 gph. I concluded 1 hour of fuel on board. Al other preflight and run-up were normal. With calm winds, I took off on runway 23 and turned on course 222 degrees, climbed to 1700 ft, throttle back, adjusted propeller, pitch, mixture for cruise at 1500 ft. Just south of the town of bamberg, the engine sputtered. I switched the auxiliary fuel pump on. Engine power was only momentarily restored. Switching from both to left or right tanks made no improvement. I started a slight bank turn back to bamberg airport while entering 99 north on GPS for highway 301, which parallels my route of flight. I transmitted on 122.8 MHZ to allendale unicom my position and situation and intentions. As I tuned in 121.5 MHZ and transmitted a similar distress call, I spotted one car's tail lights traveling sbound, which I followed to an uneventful landing on a deserted rural divided highway (US301), taxied to a paved median, turned the plane 45 degrees to lessen the exposed wingtips to either direction of traffic, transmitted on 121.5 that I was down and safe. Here I waited for 15 mins with navigation and strobes on until a fire fighter and deputy sheriff arrived. Guessing at fuel quantity on an uneven surface, even for short trips, was not very thoughtful flight planning. I was very lucky, no property or physical damage occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL, AND HAD A NIGHT, FORCED LNDG ON A HWY.

Narrative: BEFORE I LEFT ON A VFR NIGHT FLT FROM ORANGEBURG MUNICIPAL ARPT (OGB) TO ALLENDALE COUNTY ARPT (88J), I UNTIED THE AIRPLANE AND MOVED IT AWAY FROM OTHERS TIED ON THE GRASS PARKING AREA, WHERE I USED A RULER TO 'STICK THE TANKS.' A READING OF ROUGHLY 2 INCHES PER TANK, FULL BEING 7 INCHES. I CALCULATED ABOUT 12 GALLONS TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES DAY AND NIGHT AND AVERAGE ABOUT A 20 MIN FLT. THE ACFT BURNS 10 GPH AND I FLT PLAN CALCULATING 12 GPH. I CONCLUDED 1 HR OF FUEL ON BOARD. AL OTHER PREFLT AND RUN-UP WERE NORMAL. WITH CALM WINDS, I TOOK OFF ON RWY 23 AND TURNED ON COURSE 222 DEGS, CLBED TO 1700 FT, THROTTLE BACK, ADJUSTED PROP, PITCH, MIXTURE FOR CRUISE AT 1500 FT. JUST S OF THE TOWN OF BAMBERG, THE ENG SPUTTERED. I SWITCHED THE AUX FUEL PUMP ON. ENG PWR WAS ONLY MOMENTARILY RESTORED. SWITCHING FROM BOTH TO L OR R TANKS MADE NO IMPROVEMENT. I STARTED A SLIGHT BANK TURN BACK TO BAMBERG ARPT WHILE ENTERING 99 N ON GPS FOR HWY 301, WHICH PARALLELS MY RTE OF FLT. I XMITTED ON 122.8 MHZ TO ALLENDALE UNICOM MY POS AND SIT AND INTENTIONS. AS I TUNED IN 121.5 MHZ AND XMITTED A SIMILAR DISTRESS CALL, I SPOTTED ONE CAR'S TAIL LIGHTS TRAVELING SBOUND, WHICH I FOLLOWED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON A DESERTED RURAL DIVIDED HWY (US301), TAXIED TO A PAVED MEDIAN, TURNED THE PLANE 45 DEGS TO LESSEN THE EXPOSED WINGTIPS TO EITHER DIRECTION OF TFC, XMITTED ON 121.5 THAT I WAS DOWN AND SAFE. HERE I WAITED FOR 15 MINS WITH NAV AND STROBES ON UNTIL A FIRE FIGHTER AND DEPUTY SHERIFF ARRIVED. GUESSING AT FUEL QUANTITY ON AN UNEVEN SURFACE, EVEN FOR SHORT TRIPS, WAS NOT VERY THOUGHTFUL FLT PLANNING. I WAS VERY LUCKY, NO PROPERTY OR PHYSICAL DAMAGE OCCURRED.

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.