Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 1.3; Flight Crew Total 2155.9; Flight Crew Type 114.7
Distraction; Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Procedure; Human Factors; Aircraft
I borrowed a friend's C182.... I pulled up to the self-serve fuel pump and dipped both tanks. There were 10 gallons in the right tank and 25 gallons in the left. I decided to put 25 gallons in the right for a total of 60 gallons. However; the pump stopped at 20 gallons due to my error in operating the self-serve pump. Another aircraft had pulled up behind me; waiting to fuel up; so I felt a little rushed and decided not to re-engage the pump for the extra five gallons I had originally planned.... I quickly re-calculated the difference the five gallons less would make in my planning (55 gals vs. 60 gals). Having never flown this aircraft before; I wasn't completely sure what the normal fuel burn would be; so I calculated a 15 GPH burn. I flight planned for a 2 hour trip; so with 55 gallons on board I figured I had about 3.6 hour endurance; with the required fuel reserve. We took off...and eventually got handed off to Center. I was having trouble communicating with center; so I canceled flight following and continued on my way. It was also about this time I noticed the left fuel gauge showing empty. Not having flown this airplane before; I didn't know whether this was normal or not. I started feeling a little uneasy; and I did consider stopping...to investigate and refuel if necessary; but decided to keep going; as we were only about an hour away from home. When we got about 4 miles north of an AFB Base; the engine stopped. I immediately turned back towards the base. I [advised ATC] and relayed my intentions. (The base was closed this day so no one was in the Tower). I set up for a glide to runway 17/35 but as I got closer I saw X's on the runway numerals. I then decided to set up for a landing on 15/33. During this time I had asked my passenger to get the UNICOM frequency (which wasted precious time and altitude) and by the time she found it on the sectional; my altitude had depleted to about 600 feet above the surface. I was still on downwind so I immediately turned to line-up on runway 15R; about midfield. I overshot the runway so I banked sharply to get back on centerline. The aircraft was about 15-20 feet above the runway and just ran out of energy. We impacted the runway fairly hard but there was no damage and no one was hurt. While we were sitting on the taxiway awaiting the tug; I got out of the aircraft and the first thing I saw was the left fuel cap was not securely fastened to the fuel port. I also dipped both tanks and they were completely empty. I surmised that all the fuel had been siphoned or vented out of the open fuel port. Lessons learned/suggestions: 1) Never allow yourself to get rushed for any reason; had I not been rushed; I would have double checked to ensure all caps were securely fastened; 2) When you get that feeling that something isn't right; pay attention - it probably isn't. If I had listened to my inner self about the uneasiness I felt about the fuel gauge and landed; I would have noticed the fuel cap being off; refueled; and avoided this situation all together. 3) When an emergency is declared you are authorized to deviate from any rules to ensure the safety of your aircraft and passengers. I only bring this up because as I stated earlier; my initial plan was to land runway 17/35. The runway was clear of obstacles but in my mind I saw the X's and convinced myself I couldn't land on a closed runway. Reality is I could have and should have landed on that runway. Doing so would have allowed me more time to get properly set up and make a more normal approach and landing. For this era airplane with flush-mounted fuel caps I would recommend painting fluorescent arrows on top of the wing and on the caps themselves to ensure the cap is lined up correctly and seated properly. Finally I would like to say that I have been flying for [many] years and have always been very safety conscious. I never thought that one day I would run out of fuel; but it happened. If you don't practice emergency procedures; especially dead-stick landings; you're doing yourself a great injustice! I do every time I go up and it paid off this time. Let your training take over and remember - fly the airplane - no matter what happens. I did and I lived to tell about it.
C182 pilot ran out of fuel; lost engine power; and landed at a closed military airfield. Post flight inspection revealed unsecured wing fuel caps and empty wing tanks.