Narrative:

Flying at an altitude of 7500 ft MSL inbound to ZZZ; I was about 17 NM from the airfield. Engine began to idle; I declared the emergency with tower; and informed them that I would try to land at ZZZ1; which was slightly closer than ZZZ airport. The fuel reserve was just under 1/4 tank of gas. During this time I went through my emergency checklist and commenced troubleshooting. I noticed the generator warning light was lit. After about 4-5 mins from the first sign of the engine idling; the engine quit entirely. I was able to restart the engine and predicted I would be able to make it to ZZZ; with the engine now running. I asked ZZZ tower to land on best available runway; I was cleared to land on runway xx and again the engine started to idle about 13 NM from the airfield. I informed ZZZ tower that I would try to land at ZZZ1 and began glide direct to ZZZ1. About 4 mi out from ZZZ1 I realized I would be unable to complete a landing into the airport. I landed in the best field that was available; which was about a 3 mi distance from the airport. There was an earlier occurrence that happened just after landing and during the commencement of a takeoff; in which the generator warning light had lit up and the engine had quit. I restarted the engine and exited into the taxi area to troubleshoot. Everything seemed to check out alright and so I taxied back to the runway and commenced takeoff. No indicated problems occurred from that point until the emergency situation south of ZZZ airport. If I were to have done anything different throughout the sequence of this flight; I would have at the first known indication of a problem; in my case at the ZZZ2 airport; stayed grounded and have had a mechanic examine the state of the airplane to have seen if a problem could have been detected earlier on. Another item pertaining to the flight that may have factored in; and that I would have done differently; is prior to taking off out of ZZZ I would have filled my gas tank entirely. My tank was slightly over 3/4 of the way full when I had taken off; which should have been enough for completion of the planned flight; however; a larger fuel reserve would have made the flight safer. From the time of the emergency; I feel I did everything I could in the best possible manner in order to execute a safe landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: post flight inspection revealed that the aircraft had run out of fuel. The engine stoppage during the earlier takeoff attempt was also likely due to the low fuel situation. There were no faults found with the generator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GENERAL AVIATION PILOT REPORTS ENGINE FAILURE AT 7500 FEET AND LANDS IN OPEN FIELD WHEN NEAREST ARPT PROVES TO BE OUT OF RANGE.

Narrative: FLYING AT AN ALT OF 7500 FT MSL INBOUND TO ZZZ; I WAS ABOUT 17 NM FROM THE AIRFIELD. ENG BEGAN TO IDLE; I DECLARED THE EMER WITH TWR; AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WOULD TRY TO LAND AT ZZZ1; WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY CLOSER THAN ZZZ ARPT. THE FUEL RESERVE WAS JUST UNDER 1/4 TANK OF GAS. DURING THIS TIME I WENT THROUGH MY EMER CHKLIST AND COMMENCED TROUBLESHOOTING. I NOTICED THE GENERATOR WARNING LIGHT WAS LIT. AFTER ABOUT 4-5 MINS FROM THE FIRST SIGN OF THE ENG IDLING; THE ENG QUIT ENTIRELY. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENG AND PREDICTED I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO ZZZ; WITH THE ENG NOW RUNNING. I ASKED ZZZ TWR TO LAND ON BEST AVAILABLE RWY; I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY XX AND AGAIN THE ENG STARTED TO IDLE ABOUT 13 NM FROM THE AIRFIELD. I INFORMED ZZZ TWR THAT I WOULD TRY TO LAND AT ZZZ1 AND BEGAN GLIDE DIRECT TO ZZZ1. ABOUT 4 MI OUT FROM ZZZ1 I REALIZED I WOULD BE UNABLE TO COMPLETE A LNDG INTO THE ARPT. I LANDED IN THE BEST FIELD THAT WAS AVAILABLE; WHICH WAS ABOUT A 3 MI DISTANCE FROM THE ARPT. THERE WAS AN EARLIER OCCURRENCE THAT HAPPENED JUST AFTER LNDG AND DURING THE COMMENCEMENT OF A TKOF; IN WHICH THE GENERATOR WARNING LIGHT HAD LIT UP AND THE ENG HAD QUIT. I RESTARTED THE ENG AND EXITED INTO THE TAXI AREA TO TROUBLESHOOT. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO CHK OUT ALRIGHT AND SO I TAXIED BACK TO THE RWY AND COMMENCED TKOF. NO INDICATED PROBS OCCURRED FROM THAT POINT UNTIL THE EMER SITUATION S OF ZZZ ARPT. IF I WERE TO HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT THE SEQUENCE OF THIS FLT; I WOULD HAVE AT THE FIRST KNOWN INDICATION OF A PROB; IN MY CASE AT THE ZZZ2 ARPT; STAYED GROUNDED AND HAVE HAD A MECH EXAMINE THE STATE OF THE AIRPLANE TO HAVE SEEN IF A PROB COULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED EARLIER ON. ANOTHER ITEM PERTAINING TO THE FLT THAT MAY HAVE FACTORED IN; AND THAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY; IS PRIOR TO TAKING OFF OUT OF ZZZ I WOULD HAVE FILLED MY GAS TANK ENTIRELY. MY TANK WAS SLIGHTLY OVER 3/4 OF THE WAY FULL WHEN I HAD TAKEN OFF; WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR COMPLETION OF THE PLANNED FLT; HOWEVER; A LARGER FUEL RESERVE WOULD HAVE MADE THE FLT SAFER. FROM THE TIME OF THE EMER; I FEEL I DID EVERYTHING I COULD IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MANNER IN ORDER TO EXECUTE A SAFE LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE ENGINE STOPPAGE DURING THE EARLIER TKOF ATTEMPT WAS ALSO LIKELY DUE TO THE LOW FUEL SITUATION. THERE WERE NO FAULTS FOUND WITH THE GENERATOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.