Narrative:

I am chief flight instructor at an international flight school reporting an incident concerning a renter with a foreign commercial pilot's license and a provisional FAA private pilot's license. He was flying for the purpose of time building. He reported a rough-running engine to approach control; after which the engine stopped running near a private grass strip. He made a safe landing in a large field approximately 1/2 mi southwest. When I arrived on site; the airplane was sitting near the northernmost tree line with no visible damage. The pilot was safe and without injury. The field itself was bumpy and rough; but suitable enough for a soft field landing. The aircraft's ground roll appeared to be about 1/2 mi long; judging from the tracks. The pilot claimed he was aware the aircraft was low on fuel; but believed he could make it to ZZZ safely. Visual inspection of the fuel quantity revealed the left tank's fuel quantity to be very low (possibly unusable); with the right tank completely dry. Upon turning on the master switch; the fuel indicators on board read 'empty' on both sides. Our flight department attempted to contact the FSDO numerous times throughout the day; but were unable to speak with anyone until some time later. Our FSDO contact informed us that they were involved in a meeting and were unavailable until that time. The student briefly explained this morning's events to me at the site. We cannot say with certainty what caused the engine failure without a proper inspection; but without any visible leaks or other aircraft damage; pilot error is the presumed cause for fuel starvation and subsequent engine failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR REPORTS A C152 STUDENT PILOT LANDED OFF ARPT WITH A ROUGH RUNNING ENG CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION. PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF FUEL STATE.

Narrative: I AM CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR AT AN INTL FLT SCHOOL RPTING AN INCIDENT CONCERNING A RENTER WITH A FOREIGN COMMERCIAL PLT'S LICENSE AND A PROVISIONAL FAA PVT PLT'S LICENSE. HE WAS FLYING FOR THE PURPOSE OF TIME BUILDING. HE RPTED A ROUGH-RUNNING ENG TO APCH CTL; AFTER WHICH THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING NEAR A PVT GRASS STRIP. HE MADE A SAFE LNDG IN A LARGE FIELD APPROX 1/2 MI SW. WHEN I ARRIVED ON SITE; THE AIRPLANE WAS SITTING NEAR THE NORTHERNMOST TREE LINE WITH NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. THE PLT WAS SAFE AND WITHOUT INJURY. THE FIELD ITSELF WAS BUMPY AND ROUGH; BUT SUITABLE ENOUGH FOR A SOFT FIELD LNDG. THE ACFT'S GND ROLL APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 1/2 MI LONG; JUDGING FROM THE TRACKS. THE PLT CLAIMED HE WAS AWARE THE ACFT WAS LOW ON FUEL; BUT BELIEVED HE COULD MAKE IT TO ZZZ SAFELY. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY REVEALED THE L TANK'S FUEL QUANTITY TO BE VERY LOW (POSSIBLY UNUSABLE); WITH THE R TANK COMPLETELY DRY. UPON TURNING ON THE MASTER SWITCH; THE FUEL INDICATORS ON BOARD READ 'EMPTY' ON BOTH SIDES. OUR FLT DEPT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FSDO NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY; BUT WERE UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE UNTIL SOME TIME LATER. OUR FSDO CONTACT INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED IN A MEETING AND WERE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL THAT TIME. THE STUDENT BRIEFLY EXPLAINED THIS MORNING'S EVENTS TO ME AT THE SITE. WE CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY WHAT CAUSED THE ENG FAILURE WITHOUT A PROPER INSPECTION; BUT WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE LEAKS OR OTHER ACFT DAMAGE; PLT ERROR IS THE PRESUMED CAUSE FOR FUEL STARVATION AND SUBSEQUENT ENG FAILURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.