OFF ARPT EMER FORCED LNDG WHEN SMA SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION.

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ON FLT FROM FT MYERS-PAGE; FL; TO HOUSTON; TX; STOPPED IN PENSACOLA (PNS) FOR GAS AND LUNCH. TOOK ON 40.2 GALLONS 100LL; TANK APPEARED TO BE FULL; WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FOR 5 HRS OF OP. FILED IFR FLT PLAN IN THE AIR WITH DERIDDER; LA; FSS AFTER GETTING UPDATED WX FOR HOUSTON. FLT PLAN ACTIVATED NEAR LAFAYETTE (LFT); RTED DIRECT SABINE VOR AND GILCO 1 ARR. WHILE BEING RADAR VECTORED TO ANDRAU AIRPARK (AAP); NOTICED FUEL PRESSURE FALLING; SWITCHED ON BOOST PUMP; THEN THE ENG QUIT. I SWITCHED TANKS; ENG RESTARTED; BUT QUIT ABOUT 10 MINS LATER AT 3000 FT MSL IN IMC. ATC VECTORED ME TOWARD AAP. I BROKE OUT AT 1700 FT MSL; BUT DIDN'T FEEL I COULD MAKE THE ARPT; SO I LANDED IN A LARGE FIELD ABOUT 1-2 MI S OF AAP RATHER THAN CHANCE GLIDING OVER THE BUILT-UP RESIDENTIAL AREA BTWN THIS FIELD AND AAP. LNDG NORMAL; NO DAMAGE TO ACFT OR PROPERTY. ON INSPECTION; TANKS WERE EMPTY. A KNOWN PROB WITH THESE TANKS IS THAT THEY SEEP FUEL ALONG THE TOP OF THE SPAR WHEN FULL; BUT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY MINOR. GAUGES READ LOWER THAN ACTUAL; SO I WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH LOW READINGS; AND HAVE ALWAYS MEASURED FUEL BURN BY TIME. WHEN IN DOUBT; WILL REFUEL; REDUCE TRIP LEGS TO 3 HRS MAX.