Narrative:

I departed dodge city, ks, at night on a VFR flight plan to colorado springs, co. I had gotten a WX briefing and 2 hours and 40 mins and fuel on board to be 3 hours and 30 mins meeting the VFR night fuel requirements. Both of these estimates were wrong. Winds aloft were stronger than forecast and my estimation of fuel time was wrong. I had flown 2 hours when I became concerned about my fuel. The gauges were indicating more than 1/4 full, but I knew that wouldn't get me to my destination. I altered my course from heading to the next VOR which is in the middle of nowhere to heading to pueblo. I thought I could make it to pueblo with 1/4 full tanks. I asked center to tell me how far they had me from pueblo and they said 42 mi (?). I checked my fuel gauges again and in a very short period of time they were at 1/8 full (or should I say 7/8 empty?). It was then that I told center I wanted radar vectors to the nearest airport because I was low on fuel. Center told me where an airport was. (I still thought it was pueblo, but was confused when the VOR said pueblo was west and I was now flying south. It turned out to be la junta and my heading indicator did agree with my compass.) I stayed in communication with center until I landed safely at la junta. I think the main problem was relying on gas gauges that are inaccurate, improperly figuring my fuel time and greater than forecast headwinds. I am reviewing the data on figuring fuel time and will not be complacent again by just estimating my time. I think the actions I took after the problem was discovered were appropriate. 2 things were most important, the use of VFR flight following and a willingness to confess my problem to center. (By the way, I had more fuel than the gauges indicated, but not enough for VFR night fuel minimums.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT REQUESTS FLT ASSISTANCE TO NEAREST ARPT WHEN HE BECOMES CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL REMAINING.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DODGE CITY, KS, AT NIGHT ON A VFR FLT PLAN TO COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. I HAD GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING AND 2 HRS AND 40 MINS AND FUEL ON BOARD TO BE 3 HRS AND 30 MINS MEETING THE VFR NIGHT FUEL REQUIREMENTS. BOTH OF THESE ESTIMATES WERE WRONG. WINDS ALOFT WERE STRONGER THAN FORECAST AND MY ESTIMATION OF FUEL TIME WAS WRONG. I HAD FLOWN 2 HRS WHEN I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT MY FUEL. THE GAUGES WERE INDICATING MORE THAN 1/4 FULL, BUT I KNEW THAT WOULDN'T GET ME TO MY DEST. I ALTERED MY COURSE FROM HDG TO THE NEXT VOR WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE TO HDG TO PUEBLO. I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE IT TO PUEBLO WITH 1/4 FULL TANKS. I ASKED CENTER TO TELL ME HOW FAR THEY HAD ME FROM PUEBLO AND THEY SAID 42 MI (?). I CHKED MY FUEL GAUGES AGAIN AND IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEY WERE AT 1/8 FULL (OR SHOULD I SAY 7/8 EMPTY?). IT WAS THEN THAT I TOLD CENTER I WANTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT BECAUSE I WAS LOW ON FUEL. CENTER TOLD ME WHERE AN ARPT WAS. (I STILL THOUGHT IT WAS PUEBLO, BUT WAS CONFUSED WHEN THE VOR SAID PUEBLO WAS W AND I WAS NOW FLYING S. IT TURNED OUT TO BE LA JUNTA AND MY HDG INDICATOR DID AGREE WITH MY COMPASS.) I STAYED IN COM WITH CENTER UNTIL I LANDED SAFELY AT LA JUNTA. I THINK THE MAIN PROB WAS RELYING ON GAS GAUGES THAT ARE INACCURATE, IMPROPERLY FIGURING MY FUEL TIME AND GREATER THAN FORECAST HEADWINDS. I AM REVIEWING THE DATA ON FIGURING FUEL TIME AND WILL NOT BE COMPLACENT AGAIN BY JUST ESTIMATING MY TIME. I THINK THE ACTIONS I TOOK AFTER THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED WERE APPROPRIATE. 2 THINGS WERE MOST IMPORTANT, THE USE OF VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND A WILLINGNESS TO CONFESS MY PROB TO CENTER. (BY THE WAY, I HAD MORE FUEL THAN THE GAUGES INDICATED, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR VFR NIGHT FUEL MINIMUMS.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.