BANNER TOW ACFT RUNS OUT OF FUEL OVER WATER AND MAKES A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG ON A VEHICLE BRIDGE.

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ON SUNDAY I DEPARTED FROM SARASOTA ARPT ON A BANNER RUN. I HAD COMPLETED MY NORMAL PREFLT AND LOOKING IN THE TANKS COULD NOT TELL EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL WAS LEFT BUT IT LOOKED ALMOST FULL. I STUCK THE TANKS WITH A MEASURING STICK WE USE AND ESTIMATED THERE TO BE 17 GALS ABOUT IN THE R TANK AND AT LEAST 15 GALS IN THE L. THE FUEL WAS OVER 3/4 OF THE WAY UP THE STICK. I PICKED UP ONE BANNER; FLEW IT TO ANNA MARIE ISLAND; AND ON TO LONGBOAT KEY. I RETURNED TO SARASOTA; DROPPED THE BANNER AND FLEW THE PATTERN FOR A SECOND BANNER PICKUP. THIS BANNER I FLEW TO ANNA MARIE; LONGBOAT KEY; LIDO KEY; SIESTA KEY; AND ON MY RETURN LEG AROUND ARMOND KEY; PAST THE QUAY TO BE DROPPED AT SARASOTA. THE WHOLE FLT I ESTIMATED WOULD TAKE BTWN 2 AND 2 1/2 HRS AND I FIGURED I HAD OVER 3 HRS OF FUEL. ENRTE FROM ARMOND KEY TO THE QUAY THE ENG CHUGGED ONCE AND DIED. I ADDED FULL PWR AND IT STARTED RIGHT BACK WITH PWR. LESS THAN 10 SECONDS LATER THE ENG QUIT. MIXTURE RICH; FULL PWR; TANK SELECTOR FUEL 'ON.' NO RESULT. I DROPPED THE BANNER OVER WATER; CALLED A MAYDAY TURNING FOR LAND. I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE BEACH AND HAD VERY FEW OPTIONS. I PRAYED FOR HELP AND MIRACULOUSLY LANDED IT ON A BRIDGE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT. NOW; I KNOW I RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE ENG DIED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. I FIGURED I HAD ABOUT AN HR LEFT. THE LOGBOOK SHOWS 3.2 HRS SINCE LAST REFUEL; 1.04 ON SEP/XX/95 AND 2.2 OR 2.3 ON SEP/XY/95. EVEN WITH THIS I SHOULD HAVE HAD .7 HRS LEFT. I WAS LESS THAN 10 MINS FROM THE ARPT. I WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH OVER 1/2 HR RESERVE. THE ONLY THING I CAN ATTRIBUTE THE FUEL CONSUMPTION TO ON THIS DAY IS HIGHER RPM THAN NORMAL AND A HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE FOR MAINTAINING ALT RESULTING IN MORE THAN NORMAL UNUSABLE FUEL. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS BUT AT THE TIME; FIGURING I HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL; I DID NOT WANT THE LOSS IN PERFORMANCE DUE TO THE ADDED WT. NOW I KNOW BETTER.