Narrative:

VFR flight departing from ZZZ en route to ZZZ1. 1968 cherokee 235 'B,' 750 tsmo, PIC and 2 passenger on board, 50 gals of fuel on board at departure, center of gravity well within limits. Operating under VFR flight plan with current WX briefing. No apparent damage, no injuries. 1) noticed rough engine at 1000 RPM. Thought it was due to fouled magneto. Seemed to be fine after temperature rose. Departed runway 04 at lake elmo (21D) local. 2) trouble with communication #1. Couldn't get response from msp approach or princeton FSS radio. Possible reason, low altitude, out of range for both. 3) sudden RPM drop, low possibly at idle at 10 mins east of lake elmo heading 096 degrees. 4) first reaction was that the engine was running rich, so I tried to lean mixture. No response. 5) full mixture, full throttle, full propeller control. No response. 6) let my wife know we were going down. 7) checked fuel selector. Affirmed selection on appropriate tank. I saw left tip tank selected (the tip tanks had been kept with minimum fuel on purpose). Even though I read left tip tank, my mind thought left main. I surmised that that was not the problem. 8) I activated the secondary fuel pump switch and got no response. 9) this whole time I was looking for a place to land. 10) attempted to squawk 7700. 11) noticed the town and skydivers off my right wing. 12) got sudden burst of throttle, aided me to clear the remaining portion of a corn field and cross a river to a more suitable place to crash land. 13) successful, safe, no flaps, landing in soybean field. 14) made distress call on 121.5. Got response from an airliner overhead. Reported no injuries. They sent out a transport to find us. Later I had mr X cancel it through FSS. 15) at this time I still had an idling engine. I had no radio contact, so I shut down power. 16) later noticed that fuel selector was on left tip tank. Even though I checked fuel selector twice, I didn't recognize that it was not left main, rather it was on left tip tank, and tank with minimal fuel. Reason for incident was fuel exhaustion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT RAN OUT OF GAS, WITH 50 GALS OF GAS ABOARD, AFTER SELECTING THE WRONG GAS TANK. HE MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: VFR FLT DEPARTING FROM ZZZ ENRTE TO ZZZ1. 1968 CHEROKEE 235 'B,' 750 TSMO, PIC AND 2 PAX ON BOARD, 50 GALS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT DEP, CTR OF GRAVITY WELL WITHIN LIMITS. OPERATING UNDER VFR FLT PLAN WITH CURRENT WX BRIEFING. NO APPARENT DAMAGE, NO INJURIES. 1) NOTICED ROUGH ENG AT 1000 RPM. THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO FOULED MAGNETO. SEEMED TO BE FINE AFTER TEMP ROSE. DEPARTED RWY 04 AT LAKE ELMO (21D) LCL. 2) TROUBLE WITH COM #1. COULDN'T GET RESPONSE FROM MSP APCH OR PRINCETON FSS RADIO. POSSIBLE REASON, LOW ALT, OUT OF RANGE FOR BOTH. 3) SUDDEN RPM DROP, LOW POSSIBLY AT IDLE AT 10 MINS E OF LAKE ELMO HDG 096 DEGS. 4) FIRST REACTION WAS THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING RICH, SO I TRIED TO LEAN MIXTURE. NO RESPONSE. 5) FULL MIXTURE, FULL THROTTLE, FULL PROP CTL. NO RESPONSE. 6) LET MY WIFE KNOW WE WERE GOING DOWN. 7) CHKED FUEL SELECTOR. AFFIRMED SELECTION ON APPROPRIATE TANK. I SAW L TIP TANK SELECTED (THE TIP TANKS HAD BEEN KEPT WITH MINIMUM FUEL ON PURPOSE). EVEN THOUGH I READ L TIP TANK, MY MIND THOUGHT L MAIN. I SURMISED THAT THAT WAS NOT THE PROB. 8) I ACTIVATED THE SECONDARY FUEL PUMP SWITCH AND GOT NO RESPONSE. 9) THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. 10) ATTEMPTED TO SQUAWK 7700. 11) NOTICED THE TOWN AND SKYDIVERS OFF MY R WING. 12) GOT SUDDEN BURST OF THROTTLE, AIDED ME TO CLR THE REMAINING PORTION OF A CORN FIELD AND CROSS A RIVER TO A MORE SUITABLE PLACE TO CRASH LAND. 13) SUCCESSFUL, SAFE, NO FLAPS, LNDG IN SOYBEAN FIELD. 14) MADE DISTRESS CALL ON 121.5. GOT RESPONSE FROM AN AIRLINER OVERHEAD. RPTED NO INJURIES. THEY SENT OUT A TRANSPORT TO FIND US. LATER I HAD MR X CANCEL IT THROUGH FSS. 15) AT THIS TIME I STILL HAD AN IDLING ENG. I HAD NO RADIO CONTACT, SO I SHUT DOWN PWR. 16) LATER NOTICED THAT FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON L TIP TANK. EVEN THOUGH I CHKED FUEL SELECTOR TWICE, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS NOT L MAIN, RATHER IT WAS ON L TIP TANK, AND TANK WITH MINIMAL FUEL. REASON FOR INCIDENT WAS FUEL EXHAUSTION.

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.