A PVT PLT IN A C152 RUNS OUT OF GAS A LITTLE OVER 3 PT 5 HRS INTO HIS XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT.

Narrative

AFTER RECEIVING THE ACFT ON FEB/XA/99; I CHKED THE SQUAWK BOARDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBS WITH THE AIRPLANE; BEFORE GOING OUT TO THE AIRPLANE. AFTER GETTING OUT TO THE AIRPLANE I VISUALLY CHKED EVERYTHING; MAKING SURE THE FUEL WAS FULL AND THE CAPS WERE ON; IF THERE WAS SUFFICIENT OIL; ETC. AFTER LOOKING THE PLANE OVER EVERYTHING WAS OK AND CHKED OUT. THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED FULL AND THEY WERE VISUALLY FULL. AFTER THE PREFLT CHKS I DEPARTED CARBONDALE TO THE S. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT FSS; DUE TO NO RESPONSE SO I ASKED TWR TO ACTIVATE THE VFR FLT PLAN. THE FIRST LEG WAS CARBONDALE TO DYERSBURG WHICH TOOK A LITTLE OVER AN HR. AFTER LNDG AT DYR AND RESTING FOR 15 MINS; I TOOK OFF ON RWY 16. UPON CHKING THE GAS GAUGES WITH A READING OF 3/4 IN EACH TANK; I PROCEEDED ON TO THE NEXT LEG. DURING LEG 2; I WAS ONCE AGAIN ON WITH ZME ALL THE WAY TO MADISONVILLE. AFTER REACHING MADISONVILLE IN 1 1/2 HRS; I FELT THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF FUEL FOR THE FINAL LEG AND EXECUTED A TOUCH-AND-GO AT MADISONVILLE USING RWY 23. AFTER DEPARTING THE MADISONVILLE AREA; AND READING THE GAS GAUGE; I HAD A HAIR UNDER 1/2 TANK OF GAS IN EACH TANK; WHICH IS AMPLE AMOUNT TO GET ME TO CARBONDALE APPROX 105 MI; REQUIRING 6 GALLONS; WHICH IS LESS THAN 1/2 A TANK. AFTER GETTING TO ELDARADO STILL WITH A LITTLE UNDER 1/2 TANKS; THE FUEL INDICATORS DROPPED TO ZERO WITHIN 2 MINS. DUE TO MY 4 YRS OF PREVIOUS FLYING EXPERIENCE; I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE YOU DON'T LOSE FUEL THAT FAST. I VISUALLY LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY FUEL COMING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE BUT DID NOT SEE ANY. THE ENG THEN BEGAN SPUTTERING; AND LOST PWR; THEN GAINED PWR. AS I WAS STILL ON WITH ZKC; I DECLARED AN EMER. ZKC WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET ME TO HARRISBURG; WHICH THEY STATED WAS 8 MI SW OF ME. THE ENG WAS GETTING WORSE AND INFORMED CTR THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE ARPT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; I WAS SWITCHED TO A DIFFERENT FREQ AND DID NOT HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN. AT THE ALT OF 1500 FT THE ENG STOPPED. I HAD ONE FIELD THAT I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE. THE FIELD WAS SOMEWHAT MUDDY; BUT I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY LAND THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR MYSELF. I FEEL THAT THOUGH NO FUEL WAS RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THE TRIP THAT FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD ENOUGH TO GET ME WHERE I NEEDED TO GO. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF THE FUEL WAS CONFUSING SINCE I KNOW THERE IS NO WAY TO LOSE THAT MUCH FUEL THAT FAST. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE TRAINING I RECEIVED ON EMERS REALLY CAME THROUGH FOR ME DURING THIS TIME. THIS INCIDENT ALSO HELPED BUILD UP MY SELF ESTEEM IN THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER OF ANY NATURE THAT I AM ABLE TO HANDLE IT AND BRING THE PLANE DOWN SAFETY. ALTHOUGH I WASN'T SURE IF I WANTED TO GET BACK IN A PLANE AFTER THIS; I WAS JUST SHAKEN UP. I LOVE TO FLY AND WANT TO DO THAT AS A CAREER. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A LEARNING EXPERIENCE; IN WHICH I LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF INSURING THE SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF NECESSARY NEEDS AT EACH STOP. AND THAT IN FUTURE FLTS TO CHK OVER FUEL; OIL; ETC AT EACH STOP MORE CLOSELY AND NOT TO RELY ON INSTS BECAUSE THEY BECOME FAULTY.