PLT OF AN SMA SEL BANNER TOWING ACFT MADE AN EMER LNDG OFF ARPT AFTER THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative

WHILE TOWING AN AERIAL BANNER (FROM AN ARPT 38SM S); I HAD JUST ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE TARGET SITE 1000 FT AGL WITHIN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND HAD ADVISED THE TWR CTLR THAT I WAS 'ON SITE.' AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND STARTING A TURN; THE ENG QUIT. I HEADED THE ACFT FOR A PREVIOUSLY NOTED CLR AREA; BUT LOST ALT QUICKLY AS I HAD ELECTED TO TOW THE BANNER CLR OF HOUSES. AFTER RELEASING THE BANNER IN AN OPEN FIELD WHILE ATTEMPTING AN UNSUCCESSFUL ENG RESTART (MAGNETOS; BOOST PUMP; TANK SHIFT; ETC) I FORCED LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A ROAD INTXN ADJACENT TO A NEW CONSTRUCTION AREA; COMING TO A STOP ON THE MEDIAN STRIP APPROX 100 FT FROM THE INTXN. SINCE THERE APPEARED TO BE 3 OR 4 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON A SIDEWALK TO MY R; I TRIED TO LAND SHORT; BLOWING BOTH MAIN TIRES AND DAMAGING THE PROP. NO OTHER HARM WAS DONE TO ANY PERSONS OR PROPERTY. AFTER CHKING THE ACFT; I NOTIFIED THE IAD TWR VIA A CELLULAR PHONE THAT I WAS ON THE GND. AN OFFICER OF THE ROAD AND LAND DEVELOPMENT FIRM AVAILED ME A TRUCK; WHICH WAS USED TO TOW THE ACFT APPROX 300 YARDS DOWN THE MEDIAN STRIP TO AN UNUSED SECTION OF NEW ROAD; AFTER WHICH A VA STATE TROOPER AND AN FAA INSPECTOR MADE THEIR RPTS. FOLLOWING A CURSORY INSPECTION OF THE ACFT WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR; IT SEEMED LIKELY THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY EXHAUSTED THE FUEL IN THE L (MAIN) TANK; WHILE THINKING I WAS OPERATING ON THE R (AUX) TANK. PRIOR TO TKOF I HAD CHKED FUEL ABOARD AND DETERMINED THAT THE R TANK WAS FULL (APPROX 20 GALS); AND THE L WAS APPROX HALF FULL BY SIGHT AND MECHANICAL (FLOAT) GAGES; AND HAD WRONGLY SELECTED THE MAIN TANK. SINCE STARTUP; THE ENG HAD BEEN RUNNING APPROX 1 HR. UNLESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE I DISCOVER A MORE APPROPRIATE SCENARIO; I'VE CONCLUDED THAT ONLY COMPLACENCY AND INATTN LED ME TO THIS EMBARRASSING AND EXPENSIVE MISTAKE. NORMALLY I'M TOWING LONGER DURATION BANNERS (3-3 1/2 HRS IN THE AIR) AND WATCHING THE TIMES AND GAGES LIKE A HAWK. I INTEND TO START USING AN 'ARR ON SITE' CHKLIST (NOT REALLY MUCH DIFFERENT FROM A PRIOR TO LNDG LIST; WHICH I ALWAYS USE) IN THE HOPE OF AVERTING ANOTHER FOOLISH MISTAKE. AS IN ALL FLYING; SOMETIMES THE EXCITEMENT OF COMPLETING THE INTENDED MISSION; COUPLED WITH THE NECESSARY DISTRS OF NAV; COM; SYS MGMNT; ETC; CAN LEAD ONE TO OVERLOOK A VERY CRITICAL ITEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT AT THE SCENE AND CONCLUDED THAT HE HAD INADVERTENTLY NOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO RESTART THE ENG AFTER IT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE OTHER TANK. HE WAS ISSUED A LETTER OF REPRIMAND BY THE FAA FOR INADEQUATE PREFLT INFLT PLANNING AND OP OF THE ACFT FUEL SYS. IN DOING SO; HE ENDANGERED THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF OTHERS.