Narrative:

The incident outlined above occurred at the beginning of a descent to a 3000 ft length paved field. I had overflown the field I had intended to land at. I believe that there were several major factors that caused both the overflt and the confusion as to where the fuel valve was. First there was a magnetic that was rough but within tolerance on the run up. Second was a door that cracked open shortly after takeoff. Third was an over talkative right seat passenger. Lastly and most importantly was my lack of recent experience in the aircraft. After overflying the airport, partially from the above factors and partially from the use of a TCA chart that didn't have my airport on it, I turned the chart over and established my location by use of 2 other airports. I then proceeded directly to the field of intended use with an ETA of approximately 10 mins. About 6 mi from the field the engine began to falter. I had noticed about 15 mins earlier that the left tank was low, but concerned with not overflying the field a second time, I chose not to switch tanks until on downwind. Now faced with an imminent engine failure I began frantically looking for the fuel valve. I was unable to recall it's location due to the stress of the situation. I set up best glide and chose a field. I then turned to the passengers and asked them to tighten their safety belts. On the way to the chosen field a closer, more suitable field came into view on my left. I made a shallow left turn for a base then added one notch of flaps. I then turned final and lowered the landing gear. Just over my touchdown point I added remaining flaps. After a smooth touchdown the engine once again began to run, so I pulled the mixture and applied the brakes while holding the nose up. Field conditions were zero wind, smooth, and 6 inches of alfalfa growth. After the plane stopped I checked all switches off and then asked the passengers to depart the aircraft. All were only slightly shaken and unharmed. The aircraft was thoroughly checked and found undamaged.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY EMER LNDG PERFORMED AS SMA SUFFERS FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OUTLINED ABOVE OCCURRED AT THE BEGINNING OF A DSCNT TO A 3000 FT LENGTH PAVED FIELD. I HAD OVERFLOWN THE FIELD I HAD INTENDED TO LAND AT. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL MAJOR FACTORS THAT CAUSED BOTH THE OVERFLT AND THE CONFUSION AS TO WHERE THE FUEL VALVE WAS. FIRST THERE WAS A MAG THAT WAS ROUGH BUT WITHIN TOLERANCE ON THE RUN UP. SECOND WAS A DOOR THAT CRACKED OPEN SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. THIRD WAS AN OVER TALKATIVE R SEAT PAX. LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WAS MY LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT. AFTER OVERFLYING THE ARPT, PARTIALLY FROM THE ABOVE FACTORS AND PARTIALLY FROM THE USE OF A TCA CHART THAT DIDN'T HAVE MY ARPT ON IT, I TURNED THE CHART OVER AND ESTABLISHED MY LOCATION BY USE OF 2 OTHER ARPTS. I THEN PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE FIELD OF INTENDED USE WITH AN ETA OF APPROX 10 MINS. ABOUT 6 MI FROM THE FIELD THE ENG BEGAN TO FALTER. I HAD NOTICED ABOUT 15 MINS EARLIER THAT THE L TANK WAS LOW, BUT CONCERNED WITH NOT OVERFLYING THE FIELD A SECOND TIME, I CHOSE NOT TO SWITCH TANKS UNTIL ON DOWNWIND. NOW FACED WITH AN IMMINENT ENG FAILURE I BEGAN FRANTICALLY LOOKING FOR THE FUEL VALVE. I WAS UNABLE TO RECALL IT'S LOCATION DUE TO THE STRESS OF THE SITUATION. I SET UP BEST GLIDE AND CHOSE A FIELD. I THEN TURNED TO THE PAXS AND ASKED THEM TO TIGHTEN THEIR SAFETY BELTS. ON THE WAY TO THE CHOSEN FIELD A CLOSER, MORE SUITABLE FIELD CAME INTO VIEW ON MY L. I MADE A SHALLOW L TURN FOR A BASE THEN ADDED ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS. I THEN TURNED FINAL AND LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR. JUST OVER MY TOUCHDOWN POINT I ADDED REMAINING FLAPS. AFTER A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN THE ENG ONCE AGAIN BEGAN TO RUN, SO I PULLED THE MIXTURE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE HOLDING THE NOSE UP. FIELD CONDITIONS WERE ZERO WIND, SMOOTH, AND 6 INCHES OF ALFALFA GROWTH. AFTER THE PLANE STOPPED I CHKED ALL SWITCHES OFF AND THEN ASKED THE PAXS TO DEPART THE ACFT. ALL WERE ONLY SLIGHTLY SHAKEN AND UNHARMED. THE ACFT WAS THOROUGHLY CHKED AND FOUND UNDAMAGED.

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.