Forced landing result of fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	94076
Time
Date	198809
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mei
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mei
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 780
ASRS Report	94076
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Fuel starvation due to unforeseen and excessive fuel burn. Forecast VFR at destination. Computed 5 hours 30 min endurance. Computed 4 hours time en route. Fuel starvation 4 hours 21 min into the flight. Time off XA00 time of situation XD21. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following. Reporter was using the aircraft on opn manual burnout figure of 8.5 gals per hour. Actual burn proved to be 11.0. No injuries or damage to the aircraft resulted of the landing in a grass field. Refueled the aircraft and flew it out to the airport. FAA is still investigating the incident. Has talked with other pilots reference the aircraft and they confirmed there is no way it matches the book figures. Ironic the fuel gauge was showing the fuel to be very low but he did not feel it could be relied on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORCED LNDG RESULT OF FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: FUEL STARVATION DUE TO UNFORESEEN AND EXCESSIVE FUEL BURN. FORECAST VFR AT DEST. COMPUTED 5 HRS 30 MIN ENDURANCE. COMPUTED 4 HRS TIME ENRTE. FUEL STARVATION 4 HRS 21 MIN INTO THE FLT. TIME OFF XA00 TIME OF SITUATION XD21. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. RPTR WAS USING THE ACFT ON OPN MANUAL BURNOUT FIGURE OF 8.5 GALS PER HR. ACTUAL BURN PROVED TO BE 11.0. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT RESULTED OF THE LNDG IN A GRASS FIELD. REFUELED THE ACFT AND FLEW IT OUT TO THE ARPT. FAA IS STILL INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. HAS TALKED WITH OTHER PLTS REF THE ACFT AND THEY CONFIRMED THERE IS NO WAY IT MATCHES THE BOOK FIGURES. IRONIC THE FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING THE FUEL TO BE VERY LOW BUT HE DID NOT FEEL IT COULD BE RELIED ON.

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.