GA SMT HAD AN ENG QUIT INFLT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION ON THE AUX TANK. CHANGED TANKS AND RESTORED ENG PWR.

Narrative

I WAS NEW TO THIS AIRPLANE; I HAD FLOWN IT ABOUT 20 HRS AND I WAS FAMILIAR WITH ITS FLT CHARACTERISTICS BUT NOT COMPLETELY WITH ITS SYS. I WAS FLYING FROM ALBUQUERQUE TO TULSA RIVERSIDE ARPT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE SYS ON THIS AIRPLANE WERE VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND THOUGH; WHICH LULLED ME INTO COMPLACENCY. ENRTE FROM ALBUQUERQUE I SPENT MUCH OF THE FLT FIDDLING WITH THE LORAN. I HAD THE AUTOPLT ON AND WAS FLYING VOR NAV; SO I FELT I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CONCENTRATE ON THE LORAN. I HAD THE RADAR ON THE ENTIRE FLT. ABOUT 1 HR OUT OF ALBUQUERQUE I REMEMBER THAT I HAD SWITCHED TO THE AUX TANKS. NEARING THE TULSA; OK; AREA ABOUT 50 MI OUT KANSAS CITY CENTER DROPPED ME DOWN TO 7000 FT. RADAR INDICATED NOTHING IN FRONT OF ME SO I CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THE LORAN. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS IN IMC. TEN SECONDS LATER THE TURB STARTED; THEN THE LIGHTNING. IT DIDN'T LAST LONG AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY SMALL CELL; BUT IT LASTED LONG ENOUGH TO DEVIATE MY ATTN FROM THE LORAN TO HANDLING THE AIRPLANE. I ASKED CENTER FOR LOWER; THEY AGREED; THEN I ASKED TO GO OFF FREQ FOR A MIN TO CONTACT THE FBO; WHEN MY R ENG FAILED. I SAW THE R SIDE FUEL FLOW SKYROCKET. MY REACTION WAS THAT I HAD A BROKEN FUEL LINE. THE THOUGHT NEVER EVEN ENTERED MY MIND THAT I HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. I WAS STILL IN THE WX; AND I WAS CONVINCED I HAD A BROKEN FUEL LINE. BUT; BEFORE I FEATHERED THE ENG IMC I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WASN'T HAVING PWR FLUCTUATIONS SO I TROUBLESHOT THE ENG; AS I WAS JUST ABOUT TO FEATHER THE NOW WINDMILLING PROP WHEN I BROKE OUT INTO VFR/VMC. THEN THE L ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. IT WAS OBVIOUS WHAT HAD HAPPENED. QUICKLY I SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAIN TANKS AND BOTH ENGS BEGAN TO HUM BACK TO LIFE. DURING ALL THE FRANTIC HAPPENINGS WITH THE WX AND THE ENG OUT I HAD CALLED CENTER AND DECLARED AN EMER. I WAS SIMPLY OVERLOADED WITH PROBLEMS. AS SOON AS I REALIZED WHAT HAD REALLY HAPPENED I CANCELLED MY EMER WITH CENTER AND THEY HANDED ME OVER TO APCH. APCH WANTED TO RECONFIRM WITH ME THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO TULSA INTL AND THAT I HAD CANCELLED MY EMER. I CONFIRMED BOTH POINTS. I JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE GND. MY HEART WAS STILL RACING AND I WAS TOTALLY OUT OF THE LOOP. APCH TOLD ME TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 2500 FT. I BEGAN DOWN AND COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE ARPT. APCH CALLED OUT ITS LOCATION BUT I STILL COULDN'T MAKE IT OUT. AS I PASSED THROUGH 2100 FT APCH REMINDED ME OF MY ALT CLRNC; I CLBED BACK UP. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THE CTLR WHO WAS WORKING RIVERSIDE TWR INCREASED THE RWY LIGHT INTENSITY; I CONFIRMED THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT AND I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. I LEARNED SEVERAL THINGS. THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH WAS NOT TO LET ANY ONE THING OCCUPY YOUR ATTN SO MUCH THAT YOU LOSE SIGHT OF EVERYTHING ELSE.