LIGHT ACFT SUFFERS FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. FUEL STARVATION DUE TO A COMBINATION OF ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM AND PLT ERROR.

Narrative

I THINK THE L TANK VENT ICED UP. AFTER A 4 HR FLT FROM DCU; DECATUR; AL; TO ID2 AT PLYMOUTH; MI THE ENG QUIT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR LNDG WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE GUMP CHK. I SWITCHED (STUPIDLY!) TO THE L TANK (GAUGE READ HIGHER THAN THE RIGHT); AND ABOUT THE TIME I COMPLETED THE GUMP CHECK THE ENG QUIT AT ABOUT 800 AGL. I QUICKLY SWITCHED TANKS; PUMPED THE THROTTLE; AND PULLED UP TO CLR SOME TREES AND WIRES AS I GLIDED INTO AND GENTLY LANDED ON A SNOW COVERED FIELD JUST S OF RWY 36 AN ID2; ON A HDG OF ABOUT 070. AFTER LNDG; AND CHKING THE TANKS; I SWITCHED TO THE R TANK; STARTED THE ENG AND TAXIED UP TO THE RWY AND THEN TO A FUEL TRUCK. THE L TANK TOOK 40 GALLONS; THE R TANK 13. EACH TANK HOLDS 40 GALLONS. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: IT IS FAIRLY OBVIOUS WHEN AN ENG QUITS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I DID NOT RELIGIOUSLY STICK WITH A 30 MIN TIME LIMIT ON EACH TANK AS I USUALLY DO; STARTING WITH THE L TANK. THE ENG FUEL SYS BYPASS RETURNS FUEL INTO THE L TANK. IF IT OVERFILLS; FUEL CAN BE PUMPED OVERBOARD. THIS FLT WAS ESTIMATED AT 4 HRS; AND IT WAS EXACTLY THAT. I L THE SELECTOR ON THE L TANK 1 HR TO START. THEN AN HR ON THE R; BUT BEFORE THE FLT WAS UP IT LOOKED LIKE THE L TANK WAS FILLING AGAIN; SO I SWITCHED TO IT 'FOR A WHILE'. AND HERE MY RECOLLECTION GETS FUZZY. THE FIRST HR AND HALF OF THE FLT WAS IN VMC. ABOUT THEN I WAS IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS; BUT BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. AROUND CINCINNATI I WAS IN SOLID CLOUD AT 6000. SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING TOLEDO APCH AIRSPACE I PICKED UP SOME MIXED ICE; MAYBE 1/4 AND REQUESTED A HIGHER ALT. I WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN 8000. I WAS IN AND OUT OF SNOW SHOWERS AT 8000 BUT PICKED UP NO MORE ICE. I COMPLETED THE VOR APCH TO ID2 (ON THE R TANK) AND BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 900 AGL/1600 MSL; HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT; CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN WITH DETROIT APCH AND SWITCHED TO UNICOM FREQ. UNICOM ADVISED THAT 36 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY; NO TFC. I USUALLY FLY A FAIRLY CLOSE-IN DOWNWIND LEG; AND DID THIS TIME; AND WAS ABOUT ABEAM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE GUMP CHK. HOWEVER; THE GEAR WAS ALREADY DOWN AS I HAD LOWERED THEM TO EXPEDITE MY DSCNT TO MINIMIZE THE TIME IN THE CLOUDS. AFTER I HAD SWITCHED TO THE L TANK; I THEN LOWERED THE FLAPS; PUSHED IN THE MIXTURE CTL AND ADVANCED THE PROP TO HIGH RPM. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1. ALWAYS; ALWAYS; GO BY TIME AND FUEL BURN RATE IN FUEL MGMNT. 2. CHK THAT THE FUEL TANK VENTS HAVE BEEN 'ANTI-ICE' MODIFIED. WHEN THE VENT ICES OVER; AND THE FUEL IS DRAWN OUT; THE TANK BLADDER CAN PULL UP; OR COLLAPSE; THE FUEL SENSOR IS AFFECTED AND THE FUEL GAUGE WILL READ ERRONEOUSLY. 3. THE FINAL CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO ALSO CHK THE O RINGS OR SEALS ON THE FILLER CAPS. IF THEY LEAK (USUALLY CAN SEE A FINE MIST OF FUEL AFTER TKOF WITH FULL TANKS) THE FUEL WILL FEED DOWN A LITTLE AND NOT COME OUT; BUT THE AIR FLOWING OVER THE OP OF THE CAP REDUCES THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE TANK AND CAN PULL UP OR DRAW IN THE FUEL BLADDER ND THE GAUGE WILL AGAIN NOT BE ACCURATE. BE SHARP; AND QUICK; ON EMER PROC. THE ENG MIGHT HAVE RESTARTED IF I HAD ALSO FLIPPED ON THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP AFTER SWITCHING TANKS (NOT A BAD HABIT ON ANY CASE). HOWEVER; I WAS BUSY TURNING TOWARD THE ONLY OPEN AREA AVAILABLE AND LOSING ALT FAST. (FEEBLE EXCUSE). FINALLY; I WAS LUCKIER'N A BLIND DOG IN A MEAT HOUSE ON THIS ONE.