Narrative:

I had flown from my home field to an airport about 310 NM away and about 60 NM of the return journey using just my left wing tank of fuel. As I had flown, therefore, 370 NM on 1 tank, I assumed that I would have sufficient fuel to fly the remaining 250 mi (nautical) home, as the right tank was full and had not been used on the journey at all. About 40 NM from my home airport I realized the right tank was getting low and so planned to land at pontiac to refuel. When I tuned into the unicom frequency for pontiac, the xmissions in the area were extremely garbled and unreadable. When I tried to transmit, I could not hear my voice in my own headset, which I usually can hear. I joined the pattern at 'right-base' but when turning onto final, found myself to be too high, I therefore applied full power to go around, and gradually raised my flaps, which were 40 degree down on final. I then turn left into the crosswind leg, and at that point the engine stopped. I got my wings level and tried a restart, but the engine did not even turn over. At this point I still had 5 degree of flaps down, which I was in the process of raising when the engine stopped. I then turned to the right to attempt a downwind landing on runway 27. (Pontiac has just 2 runways, 09 and 27) when I was on final for runway 27 I tried to lower the flaps but there was no response, the electrical system seemed to be dead. I was still too fast to land, and the runway was running out, so I pulled the aircraft up to clear a road, and managed to land in a cornfield on the other side of the road. The aircraft was not damaged, but upon inspection the battery was found to be totally dry. My headset has been checked and is not faulty. I now realize that I was at fault in thinking that I have relied so much on the fuel gauges, which could have been affected by the weak battery.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA RUNS OUT OF FUEL WHILE IN TRAFFIC PATTERN, OVERSHOOTS RWY, AND LANDS IN A FIELD.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN FROM MY HOME FIELD TO AN ARPT ABOUT 310 NM AWAY AND ABOUT 60 NM OF THE RETURN JOURNEY USING JUST MY L WING TANK OF FUEL. AS I HAD FLOWN, THEREFORE, 370 NM ON 1 TANK, I ASSUMED THAT I WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL TO FLY THE REMAINING 250 MI (NAUTICAL) HOME, AS THE R TANK WAS FULL AND HAD NOT BEEN USED ON THE JOURNEY AT ALL. ABOUT 40 NM FROM MY HOME ARPT I REALIZED THE R TANK WAS GETTING LOW AND SO PLANNED TO LAND AT PONTIAC TO REFUEL. WHEN I TUNED INTO THE UNICOM FREQ FOR PONTIAC, THE XMISSIONS IN THE AREA WERE EXTREMELY GARBLED AND UNREADABLE. WHEN I TRIED TO XMIT, I COULD NOT HEAR MY VOICE IN MY OWN HEADSET, WHICH I USUALLY CAN HEAR. I JOINED THE PATTERN AT 'R-BASE' BUT WHEN TURNING ONTO FINAL, FOUND MYSELF TO BE TOO HIGH, I THEREFORE APPLIED FULL PWR TO GO AROUND, AND GRADUALLY RAISED MY FLAPS, WHICH WERE 40 DEG DOWN ON FINAL. I THEN TURN L INTO THE XWIND LEG, AND AT THAT POINT THE ENG STOPPED. I GOT MY WINGS LEVEL AND TRIED A RESTART, BUT THE ENG DID NOT EVEN TURN OVER. AT THIS POINT I STILL HAD 5 DEG OF FLAPS DOWN, WHICH I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RAISING WHEN THE ENG STOPPED. I THEN TURNED TO THE R TO ATTEMPT A DOWNWIND LNDG ON RWY 27. (PONTIAC HAS JUST 2 RWYS, 09 AND 27) WHEN I WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 27 I TRIED TO LOWER THE FLAPS BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMED TO BE DEAD. I WAS STILL TOO FAST TO LAND, AND THE RWY WAS RUNNING OUT, SO I PULLED THE ACFT UP TO CLR A ROAD, AND MANAGED TO LAND IN A CORNFIELD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED, BUT UPON INSPECTION THE BATTERY WAS FOUND TO BE TOTALLY DRY. MY HEADSET HAS BEEN CHKED AND IS NOT FAULTY. I NOW REALIZE THAT I WAS AT FAULT IN THINKING THAT I HAVE RELIED SO MUCH ON THE FUEL GAUGES, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE WEAK BATTERY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.