Narrative:

While flying small aircraft Y on a routine cross country from offutt AFB, northeast to batten field, racine, wi, I performed a forced landing in a cornfield near durand, il. Mission planning was quite thorough, and the mission was briefed to an aeronautical club clearing official. Planned en route time, both by computerized flight plan and manual calculation was 3 plus 35. Initially planned for an small aircraft X, which has approximately 5 plus 30 fuel available, I would land with 2 hours of fuel reserve. When I switched to the small aircraft Y, which has 4 plus 06 fuel available, I was still thinking in terms of small aircraft X fuel. Even so, I should have 30 mins of fuel at landing. WX was forecast to be clear through rockford, then picking up scattered thin broken 2500 to 3500 through racine, wi. Ground speed checks en route matched flight plan ground speed, so everything seemed ok. As flight progressed, there must have been a change in the winds, because at 3 hours I was not to janesville, wi, as planned. As I flew along, I noticed the right wing was emptying faster than the left. At 3 plus 00, I noticed the right fuel tank indicated empty. Still figuring I had 5 plus 30 fuel, I thought the fuel gauge might be malfunctioning because the left wing still indicated between a quarter and a half tank, approximately the correct indication for each tank given 5 plus 30 fuel. I continued to fly and evaluate my options. I checked the owner's manual and discovered, to my dismay, that total usable fuel was 26 gallons. Quick calculations showed I should still have approximately 1 hour of fuel left. I was so certain the gauge was malfunctioning, that I decided to in-flight check the fuel tank for fuel. Approximately 8 mi north of freeport, il, at 3500 ft, I selected the right tank -- the engine quit. I immediately went back to both, but to no avail. I selected the left tank, attained best glide of 80 mph and requested vectors from rockford approach to the nearest airfield. I turned to the vector heading, 030, and asked where and how far they were vectoring me. They replied janesville, 15 mi. I advised them that was no good, I needed something a lot closer. No reply. I did not declare an emergency. I selected a field for landing, and continued attempts to restart the engine. At approximately 500 ft, I discontinued attempts to restart the engine and concentrated solely on the landing phase. The field I chose was a clean corn field, stalks less than a ft tall, on high ground. I came in a little hot, and, being afraid I was going to overshoot the end of the field, I executed a 180 degree turn, rolled out, and landed. The landing was uneventful. Minor cracks in the right plastic wing cap were the only visible aircraft damage.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING SMA Y ON A ROUTINE XCOUNTRY FROM OFFUTT AFB, NE TO BATTEN FIELD, RACINE, WI, I PERFORMED A FORCED LNDG IN A CORNFIELD NEAR DURAND, IL. MISSION PLANNING WAS QUITE THOROUGH, AND THE MISSION WAS BRIEFED TO AN AERO CLUB CLRING OFFICIAL. PLANNED ENRTE TIME, BOTH BY COMPUTERIZED FLT PLAN AND MANUAL CALCULATION WAS 3 PLUS 35. INITIALLY PLANNED FOR AN SMA X, WHICH HAS APPROX 5 PLUS 30 FUEL AVAILABLE, I WOULD LAND WITH 2 HRS OF FUEL RESERVE. WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE SMA Y, WHICH HAS 4 PLUS 06 FUEL AVAILABLE, I WAS STILL THINKING IN TERMS OF SMA X FUEL. EVEN SO, I SHOULD HAVE 30 MINS OF FUEL AT LNDG. WX WAS FORECAST TO BE CLR THROUGH ROCKFORD, THEN PICKING UP SCATTERED THIN BROKEN 2500 TO 3500 THROUGH RACINE, WI. GND SPD CHKS ENRTE MATCHED FLT PLAN GND SPD, SO EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. AS FLT PROGRESSED, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A CHANGE IN THE WINDS, BECAUSE AT 3 HRS I WAS NOT TO JANESVILLE, WI, AS PLANNED. AS I FLEW ALONG, I NOTICED THE R WING WAS EMPTYING FASTER THAN THE L. AT 3 PLUS 00, I NOTICED THE R FUEL TANK INDICATED EMPTY. STILL FIGURING I HAD 5 PLUS 30 FUEL, I THOUGHT THE FUEL GAUGE MIGHT BE MALFUNCTIONING BECAUSE THE L WING STILL INDICATED BTWN A QUARTER AND A HALF TANK, APPROX THE CORRECT INDICATION FOR EACH TANK GIVEN 5 PLUS 30 FUEL. I CONTINUED TO FLY AND EVALUATE MY OPTIONS. I CHKED THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND DISCOVERED, TO MY DISMAY, THAT TOTAL USABLE FUEL WAS 26 GALLONS. QUICK CALCULATIONS SHOWED I SHOULD STILL HAVE APPROX 1 HR OF FUEL LEFT. I WAS SO CERTAIN THE GAUGE WAS MALFUNCTIONING, THAT I DECIDED TO INFLT CHK THE FUEL TANK FOR FUEL. APPROX 8 MI N OF FREEPORT, IL, AT 3500 FT, I SELECTED THE R TANK -- THE ENG QUIT. I IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO BOTH, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I SELECTED THE L TANK, ATTAINED BEST GLIDE OF 80 MPH AND REQUESTED VECTORS FROM ROCKFORD APCH TO THE NEAREST AIRFIELD. I TURNED TO THE VECTOR HDG, 030, AND ASKED WHERE AND HOW FAR THEY WERE VECTORING ME. THEY REPLIED JANESVILLE, 15 MI. I ADVISED THEM THAT WAS NO GOOD, I NEEDED SOMETHING A LOT CLOSER. NO REPLY. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. I SELECTED A FIELD FOR LNDG, AND CONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG. AT APPROX 500 FT, I DISCONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG AND CONCENTRATED SOLELY ON THE LNDG PHASE. THE FIELD I CHOSE WAS A CLEAN CORN FIELD, STALKS LESS THAN A FT TALL, ON HIGH GND. I CAME IN A LITTLE HOT, AND, BEING AFRAID I WAS GOING TO OVERSHOOT THE END OF THE FIELD, I EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN, ROLLED OUT, AND LANDED. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. MINOR CRACKS IN THE R PLASTIC WING CAP WERE THE ONLY VISIBLE ACFT DAMAGE.

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.