C177 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS AND LANDED ON AN INTERSTATE HWY.

Narrative

ON NOV/XA/98 AT XA15; I WAS SUMMONED BY A MEDICAL TRANSPORT TO FLY A PATIENT TO MIAMI FROM VERO BEACH; FL. AT XA50 I DEPARTED TITUSVILLE; FL; FOR VERO BEACH; APPROX 50 MI TO THE S. I PICKED UP THE PATIENT AND DEPARTED VERO BEACH FOR MIAMI. ARRIVING AT MIAMI THE PATIENT DEPARTED FOR THE HOSPITAL. AT THIS TIME I WENT TO THE PLTS LOUNGE TO REST PRIOR TO THE RETURN FLT HOME. AT XD30 I DEPARTED MIAMI. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE SPACE CENTER REGIONAL ARPT THERE WAS A GREAT AMOUNT OF FOG; SO I HAD TO DO THE PRECISION APCH. DURING THE APCH I NOTICED THAT MY LOC INDICATION DID NOT AGREE WITH MY GPS INDICATION. I LANDED AND PUT THE ACFT INTO THE HANGAR AT XF25. AT THIS TIME I USUALLY TOP OFF THE ACFT TANKS; BUT SINCE IT WAS SO EARLY; THE FUEL REPLENISHING FACILITIES WERE CLOSED. AFTER SECURING THE HANGAR; AND RETURNING HOME; IT WAS ABOUT XG40 BEFORE I WENT TO BED. AT XI30; A NEIGHBOR WHO WAS VACATIONING IN THE KEYS; CALLED TO ASK IF I COULD PICK UP HIS WIFE WHO WAS GETTING ILL. I TOLD HIM I HAD TO MAKE A TRIP TO DAYTONA TO GET MY INSTS CHKED FIRST. AT THAT TIME I CALLED THE FBO TO SEE IF THEY COULD CHK MY AVIONICS PROB. THEIR REPLY WAS IF I COULD BRING MY AIRPLANE THERE SHORTLY; THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT. AT XJ15 I WENT TO THE ARPT; GOT INTO THE AIRPLANE; AND FLEW TO DAYTONA FOR THE INST REPAIRS. WHEN THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED I GOT BACK INTO THE AIRPLANE AND DEPARTED DAYTONA. UPON DEPARTING DAYTONA THE CTLR SENT ME ABOUT 4- 5 MI TO THE W BEFORE I CALLED HIM TO FIND OUT IF I COULD TURN BACK ON COURSE. WHEN I FINALLY GOT TURNED BACK ON COURSE; TO THE SE; THE ENG WAS GASPING FOR FUEL. BY THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 4 MI FROM THE NEW SMYRNA ARPT; LOOKING RIGHT DOWN THE RWY. IT WAS JUDGEMENT AND DECISION TIME. IT LOOKED LIKE THE ONLY THING BTWN ME AND THE ARPT WAS WOODED AREAS AND I DIDN'T THINK I COULD GLIDE THAT FAR. I DIDN'T WANT TO SET IT DOWN IN THE WOODS AT THE END OF THE RWY. IT'S A KNOWN FACT THAT MANY ACFT DON'T MAKE THE END OF THE RWY; AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE ONE OF THOSE STATISTICS. THE NEXT BEST THING THAT BECAME AVAILABLE WAS THE INTERSTATE. I TURNED S AND BROUGHT THE ACFT DOWN TO ABOUT 10 FT INTO 'GND EFFECTS' AND 60 MPH. THIS PERMITTED THE TFC GOING 70 MPH THAT DIDN'T SEE ME; TO KEEP GOING AND GET AHEAD OF ME. THE TFC THAT WAS BEHIND ME COULD SLOW DOWN AND STOP. THE FLORIDA HWY PATROL CALLED NEW SMYRNA ARPT TO BRING 15 GALLONS OF FUEL. AFTER REPLENISHING THE ACFT; I TOOK OFF AND RETURNED TO SPACE COAST REGIONAL ARPT.