LOW TIME PA28 PLT MAKES A FORCED LNDG IN A FIELD DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative

DURING A MARGINAL VFR FLT I RAN OUT OF GAS AND WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG IN A FIELD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE EQUIP AND VERY MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE CROPS. I OBTAINED ADDITIONAL FUEL AND CONTINUED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. FLT PLANNING HAD SHOWN THE NEED FOR APPROX 20 GALS OF FUEL FOR THE 216 NM; 2 HRS 15 MIN FLT. THE PLANE WAS LOADED WITH 31 GALS OF FUEL IN THE L TANK AND 16 GALS IN THE R TANK WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY STICKING THE TANKS DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION. I ENCOUNTERED LOW CLOUDS AROUND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ABOUT 40 NM FROM MY DEST. AT THIS POINT I WAS ABOUT 5 NM SE OF BYH (WHICH WAS ADJACENT TO MY PLANNED RTE) AND I WAS MONITORING THEIR ASOS. THE ASOS INDICATED THAT CONDITIONS WHERE NOT SUITABLE FOR LNDG THERE WHICH COULD BE CONFIRMED VISUALLY AS THE LOW CLOUDS WHERE CLRLY VISIBLE. A DECISION TO DIVERT TO ZZZ WAS MADE (18 NM NE) BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO BE MORE CLR IN THAT DIRECTION. ONCE ACROSS THE RIVER (3 NM FROM ZZZ); IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS APCH WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE TERMINATED BECAUSE OF THE LOW CLOUD CONDITIONS. AFTER TURNING BACK AND ONCE I WAS CLR OF THE RIVER; I REALIZED THAT I HAD BEEN RUNNING ON MY SECOND TANK FOR 1 HR 45 MINS RATHER THAN THE 1 HR 30 MINS PLANNED. I THEN SWITCHED BACK TO MY FIRST TANK; WHICH I HAD USED FOR THE FIRST HR OF THE FLT. ASOS INDICATED THAT CONDITIONS BY BYH WERE NOW BETTER AND A COURSE WAS SET TOWARDS IT. I WAS NOW APPROX 10 NM FROM BYH AND THE FIRST TANK RAN DRY. SWITCHING BACK TO THE SECOND TANK; I CHANGED COURSE FOR ZZZ BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSER AND I SUSPECTED THAT I HAD RUN TOO LONG ON THE SECOND TANK TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO BYH BUT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE IT TO ZZZ. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ZZZ UNICOM AND OBTAINED ASSISTANCE ON THE MOST DIRECT RTE TO THEM. ABOUT 5 NM FROM ZZZ; THE SECOND TANK RAN DRY. I INFORMED ZZZ UNICOM OF THIS AND GAVE A POS RPT AND BEGAN AN ENG OUT LNDG PROC. THERE WAS A FIELD TO MY L OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO LAND; THE LNDG OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER OBTAINING 10 GALS OF FUEL; AND DETERMINING THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO ATTEMPT A TKOF; A SOFT FIELD TKOF WAS ATTEMPTED. ONCE AIRBORNE; THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND; REMARKABLY; IN GOOD WX. FACTORS LEADING TO THIS UNPLANNED LNDG WERE BOTH A SLOWER GND SPD DUE TO HEADWINDS AND AN UNPLANNED EXTENDED CIRCLING CLB DURING THE FIRST HR OF THE FLT THAT WAS INITIATED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLB OVER A CUMULUS FORMATION. THE EFFECT OF THIS ADDITIONAL FUEL BURN WAS NOT FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN FUEL PLANNING. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MORE VIGILANT IN MY FUEL MGMNT PRACTICES. HAD I SWITCHED BACK TO THE FIRST TANK AT 1 HR 30 MINS RATHER THAN 1 HR 45 MINS; I THINK THAT WHEN THE FIRST TANK RAN OUT; THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR A DIVERSION. I DID HAVE OTHER OPTIONS FOR DIVERSION BECAUSE THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER LNDG FACILITIES IN THE AREA. ADDITIONALLY; I WILL ALSO TAKE ON A FUEL LOAD THAT WILL BRING ME CLOSER TO GROSS WT; RATHER THAN TAKING ON WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE AN ADEQUATE MARGIN BASED ON FLT PLANNING. I WILL ALSO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLB OVER A CLOUD FORMATION BUT RATHER SIMPLY MAINTAIN MY ALT AND FLY AROUND IT.