PLT FLIES HIS NEW AIRPLANE TILL IT IS OUT OF FUEL. HE LANDS IN THE CORN FIELD.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING MY JUST PURCHASED CJ6A FROM COLUMBUS; NGB TO MY HOME FIELD IN LAKE IN THE HILLS; IL. I WAS PLANNING A FUEL STOP AT DBQ; IA; BUT HAD GOOD TAILWINDS SO ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON TO RFD; IL; WHICH STILL WAS IN THE FUEL LIMITS WITH A 30 MIN RESERVE (I THOUGHT). I WAS LED TO BELIEVE FROM THE TRAINING SYLLABUS AND MY AIRPLANE CHKOUT THAT THE ACFT HAD 3 HRS OF FUEL. WITH MY GND SPD AND DISTANCE TO RFD; I FIGURED I WOULD LAND BY 2 HRS 20 MINS; SO I FIGURED I WAS WELL WITHIN LIMITS. I WAS ON R BASE TO LAND RWY 19 AT RFD AND AT 2 HRS 15 MINS THE ENG QUIT. I TRIED TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE ARPT BUT SAW I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT. SO I ELECTED TO LAND IN STANDING CORN WITH GEAR AND FLAPS UP SO IT WOULDN'T FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. WALKED AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH; BUT AIRPLANE HAD DAMAGE TO PROP AND LEADING EDGES. I WAS TAUGHT TO MATCH MIXTURE WITH THROTTLE POS; WHICH I DID OVER ENTIRE FLT. I WAS BASING MY FUEL STRICTLY ON TIME BECAUSE OF PAST EXPERIENCE WITH LIGHT ACFT FUEL GAUGE NOT BEING THAT ACCURATE. I FEEL IF ALL ACFT HAD FUEL FLOW METERS; THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT WOULDN'T HAPPEN. I ALSO WILL IN THE FUTURE NOT TRY TO GO CLOSE TO THE LIMITS UNTIL I GET A FEEL FOR HOW ACCURATE THE FUEL GAUGES ARE; BY EXPERIENCE IN THE ACTUAL ACFT. I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON HERE AND AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO TELL ABOUT IT WITHOUT INJURY TO MYSELF OR OTHERS ON THE GND.