BEECH C33 WAS FORCED TO LAND SHORT OF RWY IN CORN FIELD WHEN THE ENG QUIT DUE FUEL STARVATION.

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MY PLANE HAD JUST COME OUT OF AN EXTENDED ANNUAL INSPECTION (CAUSED BY SCHEDULING CONFLICTS AT THE FBO; NOT THE AIRPLANE). AS A RESULT; I HAD NOT FLOWN IN 2 MONTHS. I KNEW MY PROFICIENCY WAS DOWN; SO I TOOK A PLT FRIEND WITH ME AS A PRECAUTION. WE TOOK OFF AT APPROX XA30 ON MAR/XA/01 FROM MSN. I HAD HALF TANKS. I BEGAN THE FLT ON THE L TANK. WE FLEW NW; SHOT A NON RADAR VOR APCH WITH A MISS AND HOLD AT DLL; THEN RETURNED TO MSN FOR A PRACTICE ILS TO RWY 36 WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 31. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NW AT ABOUT 15 (MY ESTIMATE). I EXECUTED THE ILS DROPPING THE GEAR AT THE MARKER (MONA); AND INITIATED THE CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 31 AT THE PUBLISHED ALT OF 1400 FT MSL. THE TWR VECTORED ME SE FOR SEPARATION ON AN INCOMING CESSNA. I OVERSHOT THE RWY CTRLINE AS PART OF THE VECTOR; THEN WAS CLRED FOR THE LNDG WITH THE CESSNA IN SIGHT. I MADE AN EXTENDED L TURN TO REALIGN WITH THE CTRLINE. AS I LEVELED OFF; I INITIATED A PWR REDUCTION TO LOSE ALT FROM THE 1400 FT CIRCLE TO LAND MINIMUM. WHEN I DID SO; I LOST PWR. I SWITCHED TANKS (OR SO I THOUGHT) AND CALLED A MAYDAY TO THE TWR. I CAME DOWN IN A CORN FIELD IN THE OVERRUN AREA OF RWY 31. I BOUNCED ONCE AND CAME TO A STOP. THE AIRPLANE WAS INTACT AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE NEXT MORNING I MET FAA INSPECTOR OF THE FSDO TO EXAMINE THE PLANE; WHICH HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FIELD AND SEQUESTERED IN A HANGAR. IT FAST BECAME APPARENT THAT I HAD BURNED THE FUEL IN THE L TANK TO NEAR ZERO; FORGETTING TO SWITCH TANKS BEFORE STARTING MY ILS TO RWY 36 (I FORGOT THE 'G' IN GUMP). THE R SIDE SHOWED 1/2 TANK WITH FUEL VISIBLE. WE SWITCHED TO THE R TANK AND STARTED THE ENG WITH NO PROBS. I SURMISE THAT WHEN I MADE THAT EXTENDED L TURN WHAT LITTLE FUEL REMAINED IN THE L TANK MIGRATED TO THE END OF THE CELL AND STARVED THE ENG. I WAS SO LOW; MY TROUBLESHOOTING TIME WAS LIMITED TO A FEW SECONDS. WHEN I THOUGHT I SWITCHED TANKS; I APPARENTLY SWITCHED THEM TWICE WHEN I DID NOT GET AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. BY THEN THE GND WAS APCHING. FROM THE TIME OF PWR LOSS TO FULL STOP WAS 20-30 SECONDS. AS STATED; THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR THE OCCUPANTS; JUST THE PRIDE OF THE PLT. THE AIRPLANE HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE FAA AND IS BEING GIVEN A 'ONCE OVER' BY THE LCL FBO BEFORE BEING RETURNED TO SVC. LESSONS LEARNED: BE AWARE OF DISTR. I WAS SO INTENT ON DROPPING THE GEAR AT THE MARKER TO SET UP MY DSCNT ON THE ILS; AND COMPENSATING FOR THE NW WIND THAT I DID NOT MAKE THE FUEL SWITCH. USE MY CHKLISTS. TAKE THE TIME TO TOP THE TANKS. THE FLT LASTED 1.1 HRS. AT NO TIME WAS I UNDER THE HOOD. I HAVE LISTED THE FLT AS PLEASURE/TRAINING AS I WAS WORKING TO IMPROVE MY PROFICIENCY. I AM A RATED GLIDER PLT WITH AN EXPIRED CFI-G. IT CAME HANDY! PROPER FUEL MGMNT IS NOW DEEPLY INGRAINED IN MY FLT ROUTINE.