PLT OF A C310 EXPERIENCED ENG FUEL STARVATION FOR A BRIEF TIME DURING A NIGHT ARR 8 MI FROM THE ARPT AND DECLARED AN EMER UNTIL BOTH ENGS RECOVERED AFTER THE MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE SELECTED. THE AUX FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY OF USABLE FUEL.

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FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL FROM HFD TO DSCNT INTO HEF. AT 3000 FT MSL; R ENG FAILED. I PERFORMED 'ENG OUT' PROC WHILE MY PAX (ALSO PLT) DECLARED EMER WITH DULLES APCH. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT FUEL SELECTOR SWITCHES WERE IN 'AUX TANK' AND THEREFORE SWITCHED R TO 'MAIN.' THE ENG IMMEDIATELY CAME BACK ON. AS I SWITCHED L FROM AUX TO MAIN; IT QUIT; THEN CAME BACK ON. ACFT LOST 300 FT DURING EMER. WE TOLD DULLES WE WERE OK; THEY VECTORED US FOR LNDG AT HEF AND THE REMAINDER OF TRIP WAS ROUTINE. DULLES DID NOT REQUEST (NOR DID TWR ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PREVIOUS SIT) ANY FOLLOW-UP. I DROPPED MY PAX AT HEF AND FLEW ON TO JYO WITH NO PROB. ON REFUELING THE AUX TANKS I NOTED THE FOLLOWING: 166 GALLONS ON DEP; 33 GALLONS IN EACH AUX TANK. L TANK = 30.0; USABLE REMAINING = 1 1/2 GALLONS. R TANK = 31.0; USABLE REMAINING = 1/2 GALLON. THE AUX TANKS CONTAIN 31 1/2 GALLONS USABLE AND THAT SHOULD BE ABOUT 2 HRS FLYING TIME. I HAD FLOWN ON AUX SETTING FOR 1 HR 15 MINS. PLANE IS A NEW PURCHASE AND I MUST CALIBRATE MORE PRECISELY FUEL FLOW FROM AUX TANKS. FUEL FLOW INDICATED 90 LBS/HR OR 15 GALLONS. I CHKED TANKS ON PREFLT. I MUST ACTUALLY BE PRESENT ON FILLING TO ENSURE FULL TANKS IN FUTURE. HOWEVER; WHEN I OPENED GAS TANK CAPS; FUEL CAME OUT; SO I BELIEVE THEY WERE FULL AND I MUST HAVE BURNED FUEL RICHER THAN INDICATED ON GAUGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE AUX TANK EXCESS FUEL WAS RETURNED TO THE MAINS AND THAT THE MAINS COULD VENT FUEL OVERBOARD DURING THE AUX TANK USE IF THE MAIN TANK FUEL WAS NOT USED FOR APPROX 45 MINS PRIOR TO USING ALL THE AUX TANK FUEL.