C182 pilot ran out of gas and made an off airport forced landing in a field.

Attributes
ACN	604208
Time
Date	200312
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nct.tracon
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	604208
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Loss of power. Precautionary landing. Aircraft just out of storage. Possible vapor lock, problem solved. Aircraft flown out of field back to home base. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot filled the aircraft fuel tanks the day before. When he arrived at the airport he did not visually check the fuel tanks. The local mechanic did a weight and balance on the aircraft that evening. In doing so, he drained all fuel from the aircraft. He did not put the fuel back in the tanks when he was done. The aircraft fuel gauges were registering full. In fact they were so far past empty, that they showed full. The pilot went to a local gas station and refueled the aircraft and returned to his home base.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG IN A FIELD.

Narrative: LOSS OF PWR. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. ACFT JUST OUT OF STORAGE. POSSIBLE VAPOR LOCK, PROB SOLVED. ACFT FLOWN OUT OF FIELD BACK TO HOME BASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT FILLED THE ACFT FUEL TANKS THE DAY BEFORE. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE ARPT HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHK THE FUEL TANKS. THE LCL MECH DID A WT AND BAL ON THE ACFT THAT EVENING. IN DOING SO, HE DRAINED ALL FUEL FROM THE ACFT. HE DID NOT PUT THE FUEL BACK IN THE TANKS WHEN HE WAS DONE. THE ACFT FUEL GAUGES WERE REGISTERING FULL. IN FACT THEY WERE SO FAR PAST EMPTY, THAT THEY SHOWED FULL. THE PLT WENT TO A LCL GAS STATION AND REFUELED THE ACFT AND RETURNED TO HIS HOME BASE.

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.