C210 PLT MAKES AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG DUE TO ENG FAILURE CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative

WHILE APCHING LAS VEGAS/MCCARRAN INTL ARPT FROM ABOUT 35 NM AND DSNDING THROUGH 9000 FT MSL; I EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE. I NOTIFIED ATC AND ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO THE NEAREST ARPT. ATC SUGGESTED BOULDER CITY ARPT; ABOUT 15 NM AWAY; BUT BY THAT TIME; I HAD USED THE NEAREST-ARPT FEATURE OF MY GPS TO LOCATE ECHO BAY ARPT 8.8 NM AWAY. I TURNED TOWARD ECHO BAY AND SOME MINS LATER BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 24. THE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT WAS FUEL STARVATION RESULTING FROM MY FAILURE TO SWITCH TANKS IN A TIMELY MANNER. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THIS CAUSE WHILE IN THE AIR; BECAUSE THE PLANE APPEARED TO HAVE PARTIAL PWR. I LATER REALIZED THAT I HAVE HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH A WIND-MILLING PROP. IT APPEARED TO BE TURNING AT LOW PWR; AND IT SEEMED TO SHOW SOME SENSITIVITY TO CHANGES IN ENG CTL POS. AFTER DOING SOME TESTS ON THE GND; I DETERMINED THE PROB; SWITCHED TANKS; RESTARTED; AND PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO MCCARRAN ARPT. I HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT FOR ABOUT 800 HRS; INCLUDING MANY LONG LEGS. I HAVE NEVER FAILED TO FOLLOW MY STANDARD TANK-SWITCHING PROC (30 MINS ON L FOR TKOF AND CLB; SWITCH TO R; AND SWITCH EVERY HR AFTERWARDS). I ALWAYS NOTE THE TIMES FOR SWITCHING IN A FUEL LOG ON MY KNEEBOARD. IN THIS CASE; I OMITTED A STANDARD PROC FOR NO OBVIOUS REASON. A SECOND ISSUE IS MY FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROB ONCE IT OCCURRED. 'BOOST PUMP ON; SWITCH TANKS' IS A STANDARD PROC FOR ENG FAILURE; AND I DO IT WELL EVERY YEAR AT A FLT SCHOOL. MY FAILURE TO DO IT IN THIS CASE MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS. ONE IS THE IMPRESSION OF PARTIAL PWR. SECOND; MY ENG IS NOT TOO FAR FROM TBO; SO I WAS WILLING TO BELIEVE MECHANICAL FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. THIRD; I DETERMINED I WAS WITHIN GLIDING RANGE OF AN ARPT AND BECAME HIGHLY FOCUSED ON THAT SOLUTION TO THE PROB.