WHILE CHANGING FUEL TANKS AND COAXING THE ENG BACK TO LIFE; SMA ENTERED ARSA.

Narrative

THIS FLT ORIGINATED AT HILTON HEAD; SC; WITH A FUEL STOP AT SUFFOLK; VA; THE DEST WAS TO BE FALL RIVER; MA (FLR). WE CRUISED AT 9500 FT IN VFR CONDITIONS WITH FLT FOLLOWING UNTIL SIGNED OFF BY ZNY CTLR E OF MONTAUK PT; NY. I DIALED THE ATIS FREQ FOR PROVIDENCE; RI; AND RECEIVED 1700 FT BROKEN; 25000 FT SCATTERED. I THEN TUNED THE ATIS FREQ FOR NEW BEDFORD; MA; AND RECEIVED THE READING 200 AND FOG. I CHOSE TO ALTER MY HDG AND APCH PROVIDENCE. I INITIATED A SHALLOW L TURN. AT THIS POINT THE ENG SPUTTERED AND STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TANKS AND THE ENG RESTARTED AND I DID TWO 360 DEG TURNS OVER THE BAY UNTIL I SET ENG CTLS BACK TO CRUISE SETTINGS. UNFORTUNATELY BOTH OF THESE TURNS WERE DONE WITHIN THE ARSA AND I HAD NOT CONTACTED APCH. I CALLED THE PROVIDENCE TWR AND WAS GIVEN A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23L. I LANDED THE ACFT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR WHICH I DID. I RELATED WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. I HAD THE ACFT FUELED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO IDENT QUANTITY USED IN EACH MAIN TANK. THE L MAIN TOOK 23.5 GALLONS AND THE R MAIN TOOK 13.9 GALLONS. THE CAPACITY OF EACH MAIN IS 25 GALLONS. BOTH TIP TANKS WERE STILL FULL AND AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT THERE WAS STILL 46 GALLONS ABOARD. THE FAULT WAS MINE FOR NOT SWITCHING TANKS. THE FAULT WAS ALSO MINE FOR NOT HAVING SET MY LORAN DME OR VOR FOR PROVIDENCE BEFORE TURNING TOWARD PROVIDENCE.