OFF ARPT LNDG AFTER PA28-141 SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative

DELIVERING THE ACFT FROM CA TO FL ON DEC/XX/94; I DEPARTED FROM PHX TO INK; TX. ARRIVING IN THE W TX AREA; A DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT PECOS DUE TO AN OPERATIONAL VORTAC FOR THAT ARPT. ENRTE TO THE PECOS ARPT; THE ACFT'S ENG FAILED. AN ENG RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACFT'S EMER PROCS; BUT TO NO AVAIL. A FORCED LNDG WAS MADE IN A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSONS ON THE GND OR TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT; ON PREFLT AT STS; CCR; AND PHX; THE L WING AND ENG DRAIN VALVE APPEARED TO BE STICKING SLIGHTLY DURING HIS FUEL DRAIN PROC. LATER; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT PECOS BECAUSE OF A VOR OUTAGE AT WINK; TX; PLUS THE PLANNED VORTAC AT SALT FLATS. SINCE THE PECOS VOR WAS OPERABLE AND THAT ARPT WAS ONLY 5 MI AWAY VERSUS 20 MI FOR WINK; THE RPTR DECIDED ON PECOS. A LOW FUEL SIT WAS NOT SUSPECTED. WHEN ASKED IF THE FUEL GAUGES APPEARED LOW; THEN RPTR STATED THAT HE RELIED ON HIS FUEL LOG RATHER THAN TRUST THE FUEL GAUGES IN THIS AIRPLANE AND THAT HIS FUEL USED ESTIMATES WERE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE. POSTFLT INSPECTION BY THE LCL FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE FOUND ONLY A CUP OF FUEL WHEN DRAINING THE TANKS. THE LCL FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE IS CLASSIFYING THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT AS 'FUEL EXHAUSTION.' THE ACFT'S SLIGHT DAMAGES WERE REPAIRED AND FLOWN TO FLL WITH 3 STOPS. THE PREFLT AT EACH STOP INDICATED THE SAME PROB WITH THE FUEL SUMP DRAIN VALVE. AT FLL; WHEN MEETING THE OWNER AND PLACING THE CHOCKS IN; A PUDDLE OF FUEL WAS NOTED BY THE NOSE GEAR. RPTR SAYS THAT THE FUEL LEAK WAS GREATER THAN ANYONE SUSPECTED. THIS WAS THE FOURTH DELIVERY TYPE OP FOR THE RPTR WHO IS CURRENTLY AN ACR FO.