PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT FORCED TO LAND OFF ARPT DUE TO UNEXPECTED FUEL EXHAUSTION.

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GOING TO WHIDBEY AIR SHOW I STOPPED BY ANACORTES ARPT AT XA17 TO GET CHARTS FROM MY PLANE. I DROVE BY A HANGAR CONTAINING AN SMA X BEING READIED FOR FLT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT AN 'X' WAS ON THE FIELD. I LEFT ARPT TO MEET FRIENDS AT CAMPBELL LAKE (JUST S OF MT. ERIE). WHILE TALKING WITH THEM; I NOTICED WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE THE SAME 'X' IN ANACORTES OVERFLYING OUR LOCATION STREAMING FUEL FROM THE R WING FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED FT BEHIND IT. I CALLED TO THE OTHER PLT THERE TO NOTICE THIS ALSO. WE BOTH COMMENTED THAT HE WOULD BE IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE IF HE WAS RUNNING ON HIS L TANK THEN SWITCHED TO HIS R. AT THE TIME OF OVERFLT ABOUT XA47 OR XA52; I DEBATED CALLING WHIDBEY APCH BUT FIGURED THAT BY THE TIME I GOT A HOLD OF THEM HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. HDG WAS ABOUT 115 DEGS AT THIS TIME. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE READING THE ATTACHED ARTICLE: LCL COUPLE MAKE UNPLANNED LNDG WHEN FUEL RUNS LOW. A COUPLE; FLYING FROM ANACORTES TO FAIRFIELD; ID; KNEW THEY HAVE TO STOP ALONG THE RTE TO REFUEL; BUT THEY DIDN'T PLAN ON LNDG IN A FIELD OF CHEAT GRASS; MI FROM THE NEAREST ARPT; RPTS A NEWSPAPER THERE; AND FLYING HIS 1965 SMA SEL WERE FORCED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG SUNDAY IN A FIELD NEAR THE EASTERN WASHINGTON TOWN OF WEST RICHLAND. THE COUPLE; ON THEIR WAY TO A FISHING TRIP IN IDAHO; HAD PLANNED TO FLY AS FAR AS PENDLETON; OR; TO REFUEL; A NEWSPAPER RPTED. ALTHOUGH LEFT WITH A FILLED TANK; THE FUEL CAP ON THE R WING APPARENTLY WORKED LOOSE AS THE COUPLE FLEW OVER 4000 FT STAMPEDE PASS. AFTER AN HR AND 40 MINS IN THE AIR; REALIZED HE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO PENDLETON; NOR ENOUGH TO MAKE LNDGS AT EITHER OF 2 ARPTS IN PASCO OR KENNEWICK; THE PAPER RPTED. AS THEY DSNDED; SCOUTED FOR A POTENTIAL EMER LNDG SPOT AND SPOTTED A FALLOW GRASS SOD FARM. AN EXPERIENCED PLT OF 40 YRS; LANDED THE 4-SEATER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE COUPLE HAD HOPED TO QUICKLY REFUEL AND LEAVE; BUT LCL FIRE AND POLICE OFFICIALS RESPONDED TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AND OFFICIALS FROM THE FAA WERE CALLED IN TO DETERMINE IF AN INVESTIGATION WAS REQUIRED. IT WASN'T; AND WITH THE HELP OF A RICHLAND COUPLE AND THEIR TRUCK; REFUELED WITH 30 GALLONS OF UNLEADED FUEL AND TOOK OFF; REFUELED AGAIN IN PENDLETON AND ARRIVED IN IDAHO THAT EVENING. THE COUPLE COULD NOT BE REACHED AT THEIR HOME MONDAY EVENING; AND WERE PRESUMABLY STILL FISHING IN IDAHO; UNLESS THEIR BOAT RAN OUT OF GAS; TOO.