EXPERIMENTAL ACFT HAS UNEXPECTED HEADWINDS; RUNS OUT OF FUEL. EMER LNDG.

Narrative

WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLT I NAVIGATED AROUND A MOA PICKING TACOMA NARROWS ARPT AS MY NEXT PLACE TO REFUEL. FLYING OVER OLYMPIA I USED DEAD RECKONING AND FIGURED I COULD MAKE TACOMA NARROWS. WITH 15-30 MINS FLYING TIME LEFT; GETTING HALF WAY; I FOUND MY SPD ACROSS THE GND HAD FALLEN DRASTICALLY. AT THIS TIME I CALLED GRAY AAF AND INQUIRED IF FUEL WAS AVAILABLE THERE TO CIVILIANS. THEY SAID NO. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID IF I NEEDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG I COULD. I ELECTED AT THAT TIME TO GO STRAIGHT TO GRAY AAF BECAUSE FUEL SEEMED TO BE GOING VERY FAST. ALSO; GRAY WAS MORE OR LESS DOWNWIND. I STAYED AT 3500 FT TO HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO TAKE ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY IF FUEL SHOULD RUN OUT. 1 1/2 MI FROM GRAY AAF FUEL RAN DRY. 2 LARGE FIELDS IN THE CTR OF FORT LEWIS; WA; ARMY BASE WERE WITHIN GLIDE DISTANCE. THE LARGER OF THE 2 HAD PEOPLE PLAYING BASEBALL AT ONE END; THE OTHER WHICH WAS SMALLER; WAS EMPTY. I DID AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN THE SMALLER FIELD. UPON EXITING THE ACFT I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND FUEL HAD BEEN LEAKING OUT OF THE FUEL DRAIN PETCOCK. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ANY PROPERTY; ANY PERSON NOR MY AIRPLANE. A QUICKER DECISION WHEN THE FUEL PROB WAS PERCEIVED WOULD HAVE PUT ME ON THE RWY AT GRAY AAF.