EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative

WHILE FLYING SMA Y ON A ROUTINE XCOUNTRY FROM OFFUTT AFB; NE TO BATTEN FIELD; RACINE; WI; I PERFORMED A FORCED LNDG IN A CORNFIELD NEAR DURAND; IL. MISSION PLANNING WAS QUITE THOROUGH; AND THE MISSION WAS BRIEFED TO AN AERO CLUB CLRING OFFICIAL. PLANNED ENRTE TIME; BOTH BY COMPUTERIZED FLT PLAN AND MANUAL CALCULATION WAS 3 PLUS 35. INITIALLY PLANNED FOR AN SMA X; WHICH HAS APPROX 5 PLUS 30 FUEL AVAILABLE; I WOULD LAND WITH 2 HRS OF FUEL RESERVE. WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE SMA Y; WHICH HAS 4 PLUS 06 FUEL AVAILABLE; I WAS STILL THINKING IN TERMS OF SMA X FUEL. EVEN SO; I SHOULD HAVE 30 MINS OF FUEL AT LNDG. WX WAS FORECAST TO BE CLR THROUGH ROCKFORD; THEN PICKING UP SCATTERED THIN BROKEN 2500 TO 3500 THROUGH RACINE; WI. GND SPD CHKS ENRTE MATCHED FLT PLAN GND SPD; SO EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. AS FLT PROGRESSED; THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A CHANGE IN THE WINDS; BECAUSE AT 3 HRS I WAS NOT TO JANESVILLE; WI; AS PLANNED. AS I FLEW ALONG; I NOTICED THE R WING WAS EMPTYING FASTER THAN THE L. AT 3 PLUS 00; I NOTICED THE R FUEL TANK INDICATED EMPTY. STILL FIGURING I HAD 5 PLUS 30 FUEL; I THOUGHT THE FUEL GAUGE MIGHT BE MALFUNCTIONING BECAUSE THE L WING STILL INDICATED BTWN A QUARTER AND A HALF TANK; APPROX THE CORRECT INDICATION FOR EACH TANK GIVEN 5 PLUS 30 FUEL. I CONTINUED TO FLY AND EVALUATE MY OPTIONS. I CHKED THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND DISCOVERED; TO MY DISMAY; THAT TOTAL USABLE FUEL WAS 26 GALLONS. QUICK CALCULATIONS SHOWED I SHOULD STILL HAVE APPROX 1 HR OF FUEL LEFT. I WAS SO CERTAIN THE GAUGE WAS MALFUNCTIONING; THAT I DECIDED TO INFLT CHK THE FUEL TANK FOR FUEL. APPROX 8 MI N OF FREEPORT; IL; AT 3500 FT; I SELECTED THE R TANK -- THE ENG QUIT. I IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO BOTH; BUT TO NO AVAIL. I SELECTED THE L TANK; ATTAINED BEST GLIDE OF 80 MPH AND REQUESTED VECTORS FROM ROCKFORD APCH TO THE NEAREST AIRFIELD. I TURNED TO THE VECTOR HDG; 030; AND ASKED WHERE AND HOW FAR THEY WERE VECTORING ME. THEY REPLIED JANESVILLE; 15 MI. I ADVISED THEM THAT WAS NO GOOD; I NEEDED SOMETHING A LOT CLOSER. NO REPLY. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. I SELECTED A FIELD FOR LNDG; AND CONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG. AT APPROX 500 FT; I DISCONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG AND CONCENTRATED SOLELY ON THE LNDG PHASE. THE FIELD I CHOSE WAS A CLEAN CORN FIELD; STALKS LESS THAN A FT TALL; ON HIGH GND. I CAME IN A LITTLE HOT; AND; BEING AFRAID I WAS GOING TO OVERSHOOT THE END OF THE FIELD; I EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN; ROLLED OUT; AND LANDED. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. MINOR CRACKS IN THE R PLASTIC WING CAP WERE THE ONLY VISIBLE ACFT DAMAGE.