Narrative:

I departed ZZZ at XA30 in a comanche 250 (PA24); on an IFR flight plan to ZZZ1. Time en route was 1 hour 30 mins. Routine flight in IFR conditions with no problems. My wife and I attended to personal business; went to lunch and departed ZZZ1 at XH40 for the return home. I visually checked the tanks before departure at ZZZ1 and both were full to capacity of 30 gals each. I have flown this aircraft many times and the normal fuel burn is 12-14 gph. This is normally 4 hour 30 mins to 5 hours of fuel on board. The fuel gauges in this aircraft are notoriously inaccurate. I noticed nothing unusual about their indication during the flight. Approaching ZZZ I had the airport in sight about 10 mi out and canceled IFR. At a 4 mi final to runway 4; the engine quit. I went mixture rich; boost pump on and changed the tank. I knew it was useless to change the tank as I had purposely run the left tank dry after passing ZZZ2. I had 2 hours 10 mins on that tank when it went dry. I had a half a tank indicated at 52 mi from my destination and a ground speed of 155 KTS. When the engine did not start; I went back to the right tank and tried that one again. I only had 50 mins flying time on that tank at that time. With 3 hours flying on 60 gals; I could not believe I was out of fuel; but the quietness confirmed the issue. I looked to the right and saw nothing but thick civilization. I started a turn away from civilization and started looking for a suitable site to land. The cornfield; no; corn too high. The hayfield; no; too thick. Off to the left; row crop; low and straight rows and plenty long. Gear down; flaps down and turning final; oh; hell; migrant workers picking peppers all over the field! Gap to the left! Lined up down the rows and touched down and rolled to a stop. No damage! I checked out the aircraft; called a friend and had him deliver 15 gals of 100LL to the field. Had a nice chat with the field owner who also happened to be a pilot while I was waiting on the fuel. He was absolutely amazed that I landed between the rows and hardly damaged any peppers! The fuel arrived and we fueled the right tank of the aircraft. I asked my wife to ride in the car for the rest of the trip to lighten the aircraft. I fired up the aircraft; turned around departed the field with no problems. Upon arriving at ZZZ I went to the wash rack and washed the pepper plants out of the landing gear. I am having the aircraft checked out thoroughly and will also do some fuel flow testing in an attempt to determine how we could have used over 20 gph. In 41 yrs of flying; this was my first actual engine out; off airport landing. My wife said it was one of my better lndgs. (She is a pilot also.) no damage; good learning experience and made a new friend with the field owner.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24 PILOT EXPERIENCED FUEL STARVATION AND EXECUTED AN OFF FIELD FORCED LANDING WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ZZZ AT XA30 IN A COMANCHE 250 (PA24); ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ZZZ1. TIME EN RTE WAS 1 HR 30 MINS. ROUTINE FLT IN IFR CONDITIONS WITH NO PROBS. MY WIFE AND I ATTENDED TO PERSONAL BUSINESS; WENT TO LUNCH AND DEPARTED ZZZ1 AT XH40 FOR THE RETURN HOME. I VISUALLY CHKED THE TANKS BEFORE DEP AT ZZZ1 AND BOTH WERE FULL TO CAPACITY OF 30 GALS EACH. I HAVE FLOWN THIS ACFT MANY TIMES AND THE NORMAL FUEL BURN IS 12-14 GPH. THIS IS NORMALLY 4 HR 30 MINS TO 5 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE FUEL GAUGES IN THIS ACFT ARE NOTORIOUSLY INACCURATE. I NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THEIR INDICATION DURING THE FLT. APCHING ZZZ I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT ABOUT 10 MI OUT AND CANCELED IFR. AT A 4 MI FINAL TO RWY 4; THE ENG QUIT. I WENT MIXTURE RICH; BOOST PUMP ON AND CHANGED THE TANK. I KNEW IT WAS USELESS TO CHANGE THE TANK AS I HAD PURPOSELY RUN THE L TANK DRY AFTER PASSING ZZZ2. I HAD 2 HRS 10 MINS ON THAT TANK WHEN IT WENT DRY. I HAD A HALF A TANK INDICATED AT 52 MI FROM MY DEST AND A GND SPD OF 155 KTS. WHEN THE ENG DID NOT START; I WENT BACK TO THE R TANK AND TRIED THAT ONE AGAIN. I ONLY HAD 50 MINS FLYING TIME ON THAT TANK AT THAT TIME. WITH 3 HRS FLYING ON 60 GALS; I COULD NOT BELIEVE I WAS OUT OF FUEL; BUT THE QUIETNESS CONFIRMED THE ISSUE. I LOOKED TO THE R AND SAW NOTHING BUT THICK CIVILIZATION. I STARTED A TURN AWAY FROM CIVILIZATION AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE SITE TO LAND. THE CORNFIELD; NO; CORN TOO HIGH. THE HAYFIELD; NO; TOO THICK. OFF TO THE L; ROW CROP; LOW AND STRAIGHT ROWS AND PLENTY LONG. GEAR DOWN; FLAPS DOWN AND TURNING FINAL; OH; HELL; MIGRANT WORKERS PICKING PEPPERS ALL OVER THE FIELD! GAP TO THE L! LINED UP DOWN THE ROWS AND TOUCHED DOWN AND ROLLED TO A STOP. NO DAMAGE! I CHKED OUT THE ACFT; CALLED A FRIEND AND HAD HIM DELIVER 15 GALS OF 100LL TO THE FIELD. HAD A NICE CHAT WITH THE FIELD OWNER WHO ALSO HAPPENED TO BE A PLT WHILE I WAS WAITING ON THE FUEL. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED THAT I LANDED BTWN THE ROWS AND HARDLY DAMAGED ANY PEPPERS! THE FUEL ARRIVED AND WE FUELED THE R TANK OF THE ACFT. I ASKED MY WIFE TO RIDE IN THE CAR FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP TO LIGHTEN THE ACFT. I FIRED UP THE ACFT; TURNED AROUND DEPARTED THE FIELD WITH NO PROBS. UPON ARRIVING AT ZZZ I WENT TO THE WASH RACK AND WASHED THE PEPPER PLANTS OUT OF THE LNDG GEAR. I AM HAVING THE ACFT CHKED OUT THOROUGHLY AND WILL ALSO DO SOME FUEL FLOW TESTING IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE HOW WE COULD HAVE USED OVER 20 GPH. IN 41 YRS OF FLYING; THIS WAS MY FIRST ACTUAL ENG OUT; OFF ARPT LNDG. MY WIFE SAID IT WAS ONE OF MY BETTER LNDGS. (SHE IS A PLT ALSO.) NO DAMAGE; GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND MADE A NEW FRIEND WITH THE FIELD OWNER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.