BONANZA 35 RUNS OUT OF FUEL WHEN SELECTOR FAILS TO MOVE INTERNALLY FROM THE L TANK TO THE XFEED RESERVE POS. PLT MAKES A LNDG IN A PASTURE NEAR A FARM HOUSE. L FUEL GAUGE MAY HAVE BEEN IN ERROR ALSO.

Narrative

BEECHCRAFT BONANZA 35. APPROX 30 MINS EARLIER THE PLT MOVED FUEL SELECTOR FROM L TANK (WHICH WAS INDICATING 1/2 FULL) TO RESERVE TANK. LATER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE TANK SELECTOR MECHANISM DID NOT MOVE. THE ENG STOPPED WHEN L TANK RAN DRY. THE SELECTOR WOULD NOT MOVE TO AUX TANK OR R TANK. COULD NOT AIR RESTART. ELECTED TO LAND ON PASTURE NEAR FARM HOUSE. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. AN A&E MECH FINALLY WAS ABLE TO REPOS SELECTOR. 36 HRS LATER I TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO ARPT. EXAMINED BY ABOVE REFED MECH. PUT ACFT UP ON JACK AND TESTED GEAR AND REPAIRED FUEL SELECTOR. ACFT FLOWN TO HOME ARPT WITH NO OTHER PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD JUST PICKED UP THE ACFT THAT DAY; PURCHASED FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE ACFT WAS A 1947 BE35. RPTR HAD FLOWN THAT TYPE 10 YRS BEFORE SO BEFORE ACCEPTING THIS ACFT HE PAID FOR A 2 HR SESSION WITH A CFI IN A BE35. THE RPTR IS ALSO A CFI. HE SAID THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER ALWAYS FLEW THE ACFT ON L TANK ONLY AND WOULD REFUEL WHEN THE 20 GALLON L TANK WAS DOWN TO 1/2 FULL. THE RPTR HAD SELECTED THE AUX TANK WHICH HAD 20 GALLONS IN IT. AFTER 1/2 HR OF FLYING; THE ENG QUIT; STILL BEING ON THE L TANK. HE HAD HIS WIFE ON BOARD AS A PAX. THE R TANK WAS 1/8 FULL. AFTER THE EMER LNDG HE HAD A MECH FROM A LCL FBO WORK ON IT. IT TOOK ABOUT 30 MINS FOR THAT MECH TO FREE THE MECHANISM. THE LCL FBO PLT FLEW THE ACFT OUT THE NEXT DAY FROM A FARM ROAD WHICH THE LCL POLICE HAD BLOCKED OFF. THE ONLY APPARENT ALTERATION TO THE ACFT FROM THE INCIDENT WAS A SET OF DIRTY TIRES.