GA SMA FUEL EXHAUSTION FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT.

Narrative

PROB: WHILE ON A DES OUT OF 7500' W OF JEFCO ARPT; AT RATE OF 500 FPM; WE WERE AT APPROX 6800-7000' ABOVE AND 2 NM E OF BOULDER ARPT WHEN ENG CUT OUT. GAUGE ON RIGHT TANK SHOWED JUST SHORT OF 1/4 TANK APPROX 4 GALS WITH 2 GALS RESERVE (6 TOTAL INDICATED). SWITCHED TO RIGHT. WENT THROUGH ENG RESTART. TURNED TO BOULDER APCH RWY 27. WIND WAS 250 KTS AT 18 G 25 AT JEFCO; AIRSPD 65 KTS SINK RATE WAS APPROX 800 FPM. REPEATED RESTART PROCS. DUE TO THE RAPID DES RATE; DISTANCE FROM APCH RWY AND WIND; WAS DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RWY. A LEFT TURN WAS THEN MADE TO PRIOR; LOCATED DARK AREA ASSUMED TO BE AN OPEN FIELD. 10 DEG FLAPS WERE USED. T/D WAS SMOOTH. AIRPLANE WAS STOPPED WITH LITTLE TO NO DAMAGE. CALLED FAA THAT NIGHT. DAMAGE: DENT IN EXHAUST PIPE. 1' DENT IN WING STRUT; SMALL 1' HOLE IN PLASTIC WITH TIP OF RIGHT HORIZ STAB. ACFT WAS FLOWN OUT OF FIELD NEXT DAY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: VISUAL CHK OF FUEL ONLY DETERMINES THAT GAUGES WORK; NOT THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE! DIP STICK TANKS ARE OF NO VALUE UNLESS STICK IS CALIBRATED. SUGGESTION: ON FLTS OVER 2 HRS; TANKS SHOULD BE TOPPED OFF. AIRPLANES ARE FLOWN BY THE HR; SO AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF FUEL QUANTITY IS IMPERATIVE. ACCORDING TO GAUGES; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY 2 HRS .75 TENTHS OR 45 MINS; PLUS A FUEL RESERVE OF 4 GALS. FLAME OUT CAME AFTER ONLY 1.9 HRS. GAUGE HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE ERRONEOUS. SUGGESTION: MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PUT ON LNDG WITH ENG PWR OFF AS AIRPLANE ACTS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN USUAL FOR DIST; RATE OF DES; FLAME OUT.