Light Sport Aircraft
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 18; Flight Crew Total 853; Flight Crew Type 170
Troubleshooting; Training / Qualification; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; Procedure
Conducted pre-flight; did visual; confirmed that there was approximately 15 gallons of fuel as reflected by the fuel gauge instrument; conducted internal visual inspection; and confirmed fuel in left and right tanks as well as visual inspection and dipstick measurement in left tank indicating 7 gallons (one-half of the amount of fuel in the electronic fuel gauge.) utilized flight following at 4;500 feet with a heading of approximately 290 degrees. Encountered a substantial headwind significantly extending flight time. Within approximately 10 miles of my destination while at 4;000 feet; I began to notice a surging of the motor. I reviewed all of the systems and confirmed that there was 2 ½ hours or more of additional flight time per fuel gauge. I was unable to determine the cause of the engine problem and elected to turn off the engine; the gas; and land on a roadway that was clear and unpopulated by oncoming traffic. I executed a typical uneventful landing onto a blacktop road and pulled the plane over to the side of the road to permit traffic to pass. In checking the tanks; it appears that there was little or no fuel contrary to the indications on the gauge which I photographed shortly before the landing. The plane is equipped with a ballistic parachute but based on my experience; I was not concerned about executing the landing. A vehicle stopped and gave me a ride to secure some additional fuel. I put an additional 4 gallons in the plane and took off from the roadway and landed a few minutes later at my destination. When I secured fuel at a gas pump I determined that a rubber gasket had fallen off the cap and as a result; fuel was leaking out of the tank at a significant rate. It is evident that the FBO that fueled the empty tank inadvertently dislodged the O-ring and consequently; the electronic gauge did not measure the loss or use of all of the fuel that was originally placed in the left and right tanks.
A Flight Design CLTS pilot detected a surging motor; shut it down then landed safely on a road. Fuel exhaustion was the cause but more than enough should have been on board. After securing fuel he flew to his destination where he found a fuel cap seal missing which allowed inflight fuel syphoning.