Rans S6 pilot has fuel exhaustion and makes an off airport landing during approach to ama.

Attributes
ACN	580250
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon tower : cps.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 14
ASRS Report	580250
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a ferry flight on behalf of the purchaser of the aircraft, I departed hot springs, ark, wbound towards albuquerque. I landed in ZZZ1 for fuel, but the airport was deserted. After figuring the rate of fuel burn for the previous 3 legs of the trip and assessing the time flown on this leg so far, I calculated that there was more than sufficient fuel to continue on to ZZZ. After departing from ZZZ1, I noticed that the voltage meter was reading zero, and that I was beginning to lose electrical equipment on the panel, including the radio and transponder. I was able to make myself readable to ZZZ approach on a handheld radio, but probably lost some of their xmissions when I accidentally hit frequency-change buttons during turbulence. I was vectored northeast for runway 22, behind other traffic. The engine quit on about a 1-MI final, and I was able to successfully land in a pasture, no damage to the aircraft, no injuries. After landing, mr X from the fire department witnessed for me that the clear-tubing fuel sight gauges in the wing roots showed fuel remaining (the poh indicates that all fuel in the tanks is usable). Apparently, I was also traveling without the operating limitations data required for an experimental aircraft. This was my first experience with an experimental aircraft, and I was under the misimpression that such limitations were only required for the first test phases of flight after an aircraft is finished.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RANS S6 PLT HAS FUEL EXHAUSTION AND MAKES AN OFF ARPT LNDG DURING APCH TO AMA.

Narrative: DURING A FERRY FLT ON BEHALF OF THE PURCHASER OF THE ACFT, I DEPARTED HOT SPRINGS, ARK, WBOUND TOWARDS ALBUQUERQUE. I LANDED IN ZZZ1 FOR FUEL, BUT THE ARPT WAS DESERTED. AFTER FIGURING THE RATE OF FUEL BURN FOR THE PREVIOUS 3 LEGS OF THE TRIP AND ASSESSING THE TIME FLOWN ON THIS LEG SO FAR, I CALCULATED THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FUEL TO CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ. AFTER DEPARTING FROM ZZZ1, I NOTICED THAT THE VOLTAGE METER WAS READING ZERO, AND THAT I WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE ELECTRICAL EQUIP ON THE PANEL, INCLUDING THE RADIO AND XPONDER. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE MYSELF READABLE TO ZZZ APCH ON A HANDHELD RADIO, BUT PROBABLY LOST SOME OF THEIR XMISSIONS WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY HIT FREQ-CHANGE BUTTONS DURING TURB. I WAS VECTORED NE FOR RWY 22, BEHIND OTHER TFC. THE ENG QUIT ON ABOUT A 1-MI FINAL, AND I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY LAND IN A PASTURE, NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, NO INJURIES. AFTER LNDG, MR X FROM THE FIRE DEPT WITNESSED FOR ME THAT THE CLR-TUBING FUEL SIGHT GAUGES IN THE WING ROOTS SHOWED FUEL REMAINING (THE POH INDICATES THAT ALL FUEL IN THE TANKS IS USABLE). APPARENTLY, I WAS ALSO TRAVELING WITHOUT THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS DATA REQUIRED FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT, AND I WAS UNDER THE MISIMPRESSION THAT SUCH LIMITATIONS WERE ONLY REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST TEST PHASES OF FLT AFTER AN ACFT IS FINISHED.

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.