PA31 PLT RUNS LOW ON FUEL DURING CRUISE; 1 ENG FAILS AND THE ACFT LANDS AT A SUITABLE FIELD.

Narrative

A PA31/G; ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; WITH 5 SOULS ON BOARD; ENRTE DURING TRANSITION FROM CRUISE FLT TO DSCNT FROM 6000 FT MSL; WHEN I CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTORS FROM THE AUX FUEL TANKS TO THE MAIN FUEL TANKS. I NOTICED THAT THE MAIN FUEL GAUGES WERE READING A LITTLE MORE THAN 1/8 FUEL REMAINING. HISTORY: PRIOR TO THIS DAY'S FLT; THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY FUELED WITH 192 GALLONS ON BOARD; 183.4 USABLE ACCORDING TO AFM. THIS EQUATES TO 4.1 HRS OF FLYING TIME. I MADE A FLT CONSISTING OF 1.3 HRS TOTAL TIME. THAT LEFT 2.8 HRS OF FUEL IN THE ACFT FOR THE FLT ABOVE. THE ACFT HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE THE FRIDAY FLTS. MY PLANNED FLT TIME FOR TUESDAY'S FLTS WAS A TOTAL OF 1.4 HRS. THIS WOULD LEAVE; I THOUGHT; 1.4 HRS IN THE TANKS AT DEST. I CONSISTENTLY OPERATE THE PA31 IN CRUISE FLT AT 31 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2300 RPM; WITH THE EGT'S AT 1350-1375 DEGS AND A FUEL FLOW OF ABOUT 20 GPH PER ENG. CONSIDERING ANOTHER 5 GALLONS FOR TKOF AND CLB GIVES A TOTAL OF 45 GPH; INCLUDING LOWER PWR AND LOWER FUEL FLOWS FOR DSCNTS AND LNDGS. FRIDAY'S FLTS WERE MADE WITH NO DELAYS DURING DEPS OR ARRS. AS I STATED EARLIER; I THOUGHT I HAD ABOUT 3 HRS OF FUEL WHEN I DEPARTED. I DID NOT REFUEL BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THE NUMBER OF PAX; WT; NOR THE AMOUNT OF BAGGAGE OR GEAR THEY MIGHT HAVE; AND WITH A 1.4 RESERVE; I WAS WELL ABOVE THE 45 MIN FAR REQUIREMENT (I USUALLY UP THAT BY 5-15 MINS; CONSIDERING WX AND WINDS). THOUGH I DID NOT VISUALLY PEER INTO THE TANKS; A CHK OF THE GAUGES SHOWED NEARLY WHAT I HAD MENTALLY FIGURED FOR THE FUEL LOAD DURING PREFLT. THE SAME WAS TRUE UPON START FOR THE FLT. ON LEVELOFF; WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE AUX TANKS; THE MAINS WERE INDICATING JUST UNDER 1/2 TANKS. THE AUX TANKS WERE ALSO INDICATING 1/2. IF THE GAUGES WERE ACCURATE THEN I HAD 96 GALLONS WITH 91.7 USABLE; AND WITH 0.8 HRS TO FLY AND NEARLY 2 HRS OF FUEL (I HAD ABOUT 8 MIN DELAY FOR TFC AHEAD OF ME) THINGS WERE NORMAL. APPROX 40 NM SHORT OF DEST; THE CTLR GAVE US A DSCNT TO 4000 FT AND; AS PER CHKLIST; I SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAIN TANKS; AND NOTED THE FUEL GAUGES AT A LITTLE OVER 1/8 TANK ON BOTH SIDES. I COMMENTED TO THE PLT IN THE COPLT SEAT (NOT CURRENT IN THE PA31) THAT THE GAUGES DID NOT LOOK RIGHT AND THAT I HAD HAD ABOUT 3 HRS OF FUEL WHEN I DEPARTED EARLIER. THROUGHOUT MY 45+ YR FLYING CAREER I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT (AND BY EXPERIENCE HAVE LEARNED) NOT TO RELY ON FUEL GAUGES. BUT THESE; BEING SO LOW; BOTHERED ME. I SWITCHED THE GPS TO THE 'NEAREST' PAGE; TO DISCOVER THAT OUR BEST COURSE WAS TO CONTINUE TOWARD DEST WHILE TRYING TO RESOLVE MY DOUBT AS TO WHAT MY MENTAL FUEL CALCULATIONS AND WHAT THE GAUGES WERE TELLING ME (WHERE WAS THAT RESERVE FUEL?). FUEL LOADING; FLT TIMES AND FUEL FLOWS ALL SAID I STILL HAD 1 HR OF FUEL. THE GAUGES SAID I HAD LESS THAN 12 MINS. I DECIDED TO GO WITH THE GAUGES; HEADED FOR ZZZ. I ALSO DECIDED TO USE ALL AVAILABLE FUEL FROM THE AUX TANKS; AND SWITCHED BACK TO THEM UNTIL THE R FUEL FLOW; FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT; AND ENG SURGE TOLD ME TO SWITCH BACK TO THE MAINS; WHICH I DID. WE WERE TALKING TO APCH CTL ABOUT THE SITUATION; AND THEY WERE GIVING US VECTORS AND DISTANCE TO ZZZ. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER; AND SOME 8-10 MI FROM ZZZ AT 2000 FT; THE L ENG DIED. AT THIS TIME; I DECLARED AN EMER; CONSIDERING THAT THE R ENG SHOULD ALREADY HAVE FAILED BECAUSE OF USING THE JANITROL HEATER; FED BY THE R FUEL SYS; AND CERTAINLY WE SURELY WOULD LOSE THE R ENG BEFORE WE GOT TO ZZZ. WE ALSO HAD NO SUITABLE LNDG SITES. WHILE DSNDING SLOWLY TO 1600 FT MSL; I REALIZED I HAD NOT PROPERLY SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. I IMMEDIATELY FEATHERED THE L PROP WHICH ALLOWED THE R ENG TO LEVEL US OUT AND EVEN TO CLB TO 1800 FT MSL. WE WERE COURSING STRAIGHT TO ZZZ WHEN THE COPLT; WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; TOLD ME WHERE THE RWY WAS AND HOW I WAS LINED UP. I TURNED SLIGHTLY L TO ENTER A R BASE FOR RWY 31. WHEN I SAW THE RWY I WAS ON A CLOSE-IN R BASE. I LOWERED THE GEAR; AND SHORTLY AFTER; THE FLAPS; LANDED AND ROLLED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE EDGE OF THE PARKING APRON. I REMEMBER THAT; FORSOME REASON ON THE RWY; I HAD PULLED THE R ENG MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF; AND WASN'T QUICK ENOUGH TO GET IT BACK UP BEFORE THE R ENG QUIT. SO I SIMPLY ROLLED TO A STOP ON THE TARMAC. I TRIED ONE START ON THE R ENG TO NO AVAIL. THE PAX DEPLANED AND I HAD THE AIRPLANE TOWED TO PARKING.