BE36 PLT RPTS ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AND SUCCESSFUL OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative

IN CRUISE AT 10000 FT (ON TOP) THE 6 PROBE EGT #2 CYLINDER STARTED FLASHING UP AND DOWN 1200-1900 DEGS (INSIGHT 6 PROBE EGT). I FELT THAT IT WAS A PROBE FAILURE AND NOT A REAL PROB. NEVERTHELESS I CHKED THE CHT AND EGT ON ALL THE CYLINDERS AND THEY WERE ALL OK. THE CHT ON #2 WAS 325 DEGS AND THE ENG WAS RUNNING SMOOTH. WE DID NOT HAVE THE PROB AT LOWER ALTS; SO I ASKED FOR 6000 FT. AT 6000 FT WE STILL HAD THE PROB ALONG WITH CLOUDS AND A ROUGH RIDE; SO I ASKED FOR 4000 FT WHERE WE HAD A SMOOTH RIDE IN VFR. WITHOUT WARNING; THE ENG QUIT! I CHANGED TANKS; HIT THE BOOST PUMP; BUT GOT NO FUEL PRESSURE. I TOLD ATC I HAD A PROB. THEY DECLARED AN EMER AND GAVE ME A HDG TO THE ARPT 7 MI. I WAS AT 2500 FT. I DECIDED TO QUIT TROUBLESHOOTING AND FLY THE AIRPLANE. WITH TFC AND TELEPHONE POLES ON THE ROAD I CHOSE THE SOY BEAN FIELD. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL SOFT FIELD LNDG AND CHKING THE OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE ENG AND OIL; I FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I CLRED THE AREA; HIT THE BOOST PUMP; AND IT FINALLY PICKED UP. I CHKED THE R TIP TANK AND IT WAS EMPTY. EVIDENTLY THE L TIP TANK (GRAVITY FLOW) HAD FAILED TO PICK UP IN THE 'BOTH' XFEED POS AND WITH THE OTHER PROB TAKING MOST OF MY ATTN; I HAD MISSED THAT. I TALKED WITH FAA AND WITH NTSB AND AN IA. FINDING NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE AND IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AND PERMISSION FROM THE LAND OWNER; WE MEASURED THE FIELD; PLACED CONES ALONG THE RWY AND DEPARTED GEAR DOWN TO ZZZ. THE NEXT MORNING; I MET WITH THE MAINT SHOP WHERE HE DID A MORE EXTENSIVE INSPECTION ON JACKS WHERE HE COULD CYCLE THE GEAR. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE A SCRATCH OR ANY DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. NO DOUBT ANNUAL TRAINING AND GND SCHOOLS WERE FACTORS IN HAVING A GOOD OUTCOME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADMITS ON CALLBACK THAT HE MISMANAGED THE FUEL. HE BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH #6 EGT AND THOUGHT OTHER PROBS HAD CAUSED HIS ENG TO QUIT. ONCE COMMITTED TO AN OFF ARPT LNDG THE EMER WAS HANDLED VERY WELL.