C150 PLT HAS FUEL STARVATION AND ACCOMPLISHES AN OFF FIELD LNDG.

Narrative

THE OFF-ARPT LNDG FOLLOWED 3 FLT SEGMENTS. THE PREVIOUS DAY I FLEW A 150 HP C150 FROM ZZZ1; A PVT GRASS STRIP 15 MI N OF ZZZ2 TO ZZZ3; AFTER FILLING BOTH WING TANKS (24 GALLONS USABLE) AND THE AUX TANK (14 GALLONS USABLE). THAT FLT LASTED 1.7 HRS. THE NEXT DAY A VFR FLT FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ 5 MI N OF ZZZ2 LASTED 1.4 HRS. I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF THE ROUND TRIP COULD BE MADE WITHOUT NEEDING THE AUX TANK; BUT BEFORE LNDG I SAW I WOULDN'T MAKE IT; SO I STARTED THE AUX PUMP; WHICH STARTED TO RAISE THE FUEL INDICATOR ON THE R TANK. I LANDED AT ZZZ; SHUT DOWN THE ENG; AND PICKED UP A PAX FOR A LCL SIGHTSEEING TOUR. I FORGOT TO RE-ENGAGE THE XFER PUMP AND NEVER LOOKED AT THE FUEL GAUGES. THIS FLT LASTED 0.7 HRS. AFTER LNDG AND DISCHARGING THE PAX; I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF DOWNWIND TO SHORTEN THE SHORT HOP N TO MY FINAL DEST. AGAIN; I FORGOT THE FUEL XFER PUMP WAS NOT ENGAGED; AND I DID NOT OBSERVE THE FUEL GAUGES. (I THINK THE WIND WAS RPTED AS 220 DEGS AT 7 KTS.) TAKING OFF TO THE N WAS A LIFE-SAVING DECISION; AS THE DEP FROM RWY XX WENT OVER A 4 LANE STREET; HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT AND STADIUM; AND OTHER DEVELOPED LAND. INSTEAD; RWY YY LEADS OVER AN OPEN FIELD. WITHIN 3-5 SECONDS OF ROTATION; THE ENG STOPPED WITHOUT ANY SPUTTERING. I INSTANTLY REALIZED THAT I HAD RUN IT OUT OF GAS; SO DID NOT TRY TO RESTART. I WAS AT NO MORE THAN 50 FT AGL. THE FIELD (UNTILLED SOYBEAN STUBBLE) EXTENDED ABOUT 700 FT; FOLLOWED BY A DRAINAGE WAY XING PERPENDICULAR TO DIRECTION OF FLT; AND THEN A GRASS FIELD BORDER WHICH WAS ABOUT 1300 FT LONG. I CLRED THE DRAINAGE WAY; AND DID A NORMAL LNDG ON THE GRASS; WHICH SLOPED UP APPROX 3 DEGS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP NORMALLY WITHOUT HARD BRAKING WELL SHORT OF A FENCE AND YARD. I GOT OUT AND TALKED BRIEFLY TO A CONCRETE-LAYING CREW ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THEY DIDN'T SEEM OVERLY CONCERNED; AND RETURNED TO WORKING. I STARTED THE FUEL XFER PUMP; AND AFTER SEVERAL MINS OBSERVED THE FUEL NEEDLE STARTING TO REGISTER; AND SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED THE ENG. I TAXIED S TOWARDS THE ARPT; BUT SAW I COULD NOT CROSS THE DRAINAGE WAY BECAUSE OF STEEPNESS AND WET CONDITIONS. THERE WAS A SHORT FIELD OF WHEAT JUST GREENING UP TO THE E OF THE GRASS FIELD BORDER. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG (AND LEAVING THE XFER PUMP RUNNING!); I WALKED THE GND TO ASSURE IT WAS SOLID ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT A TKOF. THE C150 HAS LARGER THAN NORMAL TIRES AND THE LARGER ENG; WHICH HELPED IN SOFT-FIELD OPS. UPON RESTARTING THE ENG; AND RESTARTING THE XFER PUMP; I TAXIED TO THE E END OF THE FIELD (ABOUT 1600-1700 FT FROM THE FIELD BORDER); AND USING SOFT FIELD TECHNIQUES; TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO THE FINAL DEST. (THERE WAS A 2500-FT LONG OPEN TILLED FIELD W OF THE GRASS FIELD BORDER IF ADDITIONAL DISTANCE WAS NEEDED; BUT THE XING OF THE GRASS FIELD BORDER WOULD HAVE BEEN ROUGH AT SPD). THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE; INJURY; OR DEATH; BUT BECAUSE OF TAKING OFF OVER OPEN FIELDS; I HAD SOME PLACE SAFER TO PUT DOWN. THE CAUSE WAS MY TRYING TO STRETCH THE WING TANK ENDURANCE; MULTIPLE DISTRS OF HAVING A PAX AND DOING SIGHTSEEING (WHICH HAD MY ATTN OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND OFF THE INSTS WAY TOO MUCH); AND FAILING TO OBSERVE THE FUEL GAUGES AT ALL DURING THE WHOLE LCL FLT. I'M EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM THIS FLT.