THE RPTR AFTER BUYING A RARE AIRPLANE MAKES A FUEL CONSUMPTION CHK AND DETERMINES THE FUEL BURN IS 64 PT 28 GPH. WITH 360 GALS USABLE HE FIGURES HE CAN FLY 5 HRS SAFELY. THE RPTR RAN OUT OF FUEL AT 4 HRS AND 20 MINS AND LANDED ON THE MEDIAN OF THE HWY.

Narrative

SEVERAL FRIENDS AND I PURCHASED A RARE AIRPLANE AND NEEDED TO MOVE IT BACK TO ST LOUIS. SINCE I WAS NEW WE BROUGHT A PLT FOR THE PREVIOUS OWNER TO SUPERVISE. WE ALL AGREED ON ANY PLAN OF ACTION PRIOR TO INITIATING IT. THE 1ST DAY I FLEW THE PLANE FROM CARLSBAD; CA; TO PHX. TO VERIFY THE ACFT PERFORMANCE I TOOK ENG READINGS; FUEL BURNS; AND OIL CONSUMPTION READINGS. THE FIRST LEG DATA INDICATED A FUEL BURN OF 64.28 GPH WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE 60 GPH THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER USED AND WHAT THE MANUFACTURER'S AFM PREDICTED. SINCE THE ACFT HOLDS 360 GALS USEABLE FUEL; WE DECIDED THAT 5 HRS/300 GALS WOULD BE OUR MAX ENDURANCE. WE PLANNED A 500 SM/4 HR FLT FROM PHX TO TUCUMCANI; NM; ON FEB/TUE/96 WITH AN ALTERNATE PLAN TO LAND IN ABQ IF WE WERE OVER 3 HRS ALOFT. OVER ABQ WE HAD BEEN ALOFT FOR 2 1/2 HRS (WITH 50 MINS GND TIME) AND ONLY 1 HR TO TUCUMCANI; SO WE CONTINUED. APPROX 15 SM W OF TCC AT 7500 FT MSL THE L ENG BEGAN SURGING. I WAS IN THE R SEAT AND DIRECTED THE L SEAT PLT TO GET THE PREVIOUS OWNER INTO THE L SEAT SO WE COULD HANDLE THE PROB. A COUPLE OF MINS AFTER THE L ENG BEGAN SURGING THE CTR ENG DID THE SAME. SINCE THE TOWN WAS BTWN US AND THE ARPT; WE ELECTED TO DO A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A DIRT STRIP ALONG I-40. WHEN WE BEGAN TURNING TOWARD THE STRIP THE R ENG BEGAN SURGING. WE WOUND UP MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON THE MEDIAN OF HWY 40 WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR CREW. UPON EXAMINATION WE HAD NO FUEL ON BOARD. WE GOT 100 GALS FROM THE ARPT; DID AN EXTREMELY THOROUGH INSPECTION; HAD A MECH LOOK AT THE L ENG (FIRST ONE TO QUIT); AND DECIDED TO FLY TO THE ARPT ALONG THE HWY. WE FLEW TO THE ARPT IN TUCUMCANI; SPENT THE NIGHT; AND CONTINUED TO ST LOUIS WITH AN UNEVENTFUL 2 MORE DAYS OF FLYING.