Narrative:

My plane had just come out of an extended annual inspection (caused by scheduling conflicts at the FBO, not the airplane). As a result, I had not flown in 2 months. I knew my proficiency was down, so I took a pilot friend with me as a precaution. We took off at approximately XA30 on mar/xa/01 from msn. I had half tanks. I began the flight on the left tank. We flew northwest, shot a non radar VOR approach with a miss and hold at dll, then returned to msn for a practice ILS to runway 36 with a circle to land on runway 31. Winds were out of the northwest at about 15 (my estimate). I executed the ILS dropping the gear at the marker (mona), and initiated the circle to land runway 31 at the published altitude of 1400 ft MSL. The tower vectored me southeast for separation on an incoming cessna. I overshot the runway centerline as part of the vector, then was cleared for the landing with the cessna in sight. I made an extended left turn to realign with the centerline. As I leveled off, I initiated a power reduction to lose altitude from the 1400 ft circle to land minimum. When I did so, I lost power. I switched tanks (or so I thought) and called a mayday to the tower. I came down in a corn field in the overrun area of runway 31. I bounced once and came to a stop. The airplane was intact and no one was injured. The next morning I met FAA inspector of the FSDO to examine the plane, which had been removed from the field and sequestered in a hangar. It fast became apparent that I had burned the fuel in the left tank to near zero, forgetting to switch tanks before starting my ILS to runway 36 (I forgot the 'G' in gump). The right side showed 1/2 tank with fuel visible. We switched to the right tank and started the engine with no problems. I surmise that when I made that extended left turn what little fuel remained in the left tank migrated to the end of the cell and starved the engine. I was so low, my troubleshooting time was limited to a few seconds. When I thought I switched tanks, I apparently switched them twice when I did not get an immediate response. By then the ground was approaching. From the time of power loss to full stop was 20-30 seconds. As stated, there was no damage to the aircraft or the occupants, just the pride of the pilot. The airplane has been released by the FAA and is being given a 'once over' by the local FBO before being returned to service. Lessons learned: be aware of distraction. I was so intent on dropping the gear at the marker to set up my descent on the ILS, and compensating for the northwest wind that I did not make the fuel switch. Use my checklists. Take the time to top the tanks. The flight lasted 1.1 hours. At no time was I under the hood. I have listed the flight as pleasure/training as I was working to improve my proficiency. I am a rated glider pilot with an expired CFI-G. It came handy! Proper fuel management is now deeply ingrained in my flight routine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH C33 WAS FORCED TO LAND SHORT OF RWY IN CORN FIELD WHEN THE ENG QUIT DUE FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: MY PLANE HAD JUST COME OUT OF AN EXTENDED ANNUAL INSPECTION (CAUSED BY SCHEDULING CONFLICTS AT THE FBO, NOT THE AIRPLANE). AS A RESULT, I HAD NOT FLOWN IN 2 MONTHS. I KNEW MY PROFICIENCY WAS DOWN, SO I TOOK A PLT FRIEND WITH ME AS A PRECAUTION. WE TOOK OFF AT APPROX XA30 ON MAR/XA/01 FROM MSN. I HAD HALF TANKS. I BEGAN THE FLT ON THE L TANK. WE FLEW NW, SHOT A NON RADAR VOR APCH WITH A MISS AND HOLD AT DLL, THEN RETURNED TO MSN FOR A PRACTICE ILS TO RWY 36 WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 31. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NW AT ABOUT 15 (MY ESTIMATE). I EXECUTED THE ILS DROPPING THE GEAR AT THE MARKER (MONA), AND INITIATED THE CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 31 AT THE PUBLISHED ALT OF 1400 FT MSL. THE TWR VECTORED ME SE FOR SEPARATION ON AN INCOMING CESSNA. I OVERSHOT THE RWY CTRLINE AS PART OF THE VECTOR, THEN WAS CLRED FOR THE LNDG WITH THE CESSNA IN SIGHT. I MADE AN EXTENDED L TURN TO REALIGN WITH THE CTRLINE. AS I LEVELED OFF, I INITIATED A PWR REDUCTION TO LOSE ALT FROM THE 1400 FT CIRCLE TO LAND MINIMUM. WHEN I DID SO, I LOST PWR. I SWITCHED TANKS (OR SO I THOUGHT) AND CALLED A MAYDAY TO THE TWR. I CAME DOWN IN A CORN FIELD IN THE OVERRUN AREA OF RWY 31. I BOUNCED ONCE AND CAME TO A STOP. THE AIRPLANE WAS INTACT AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE NEXT MORNING I MET FAA INSPECTOR OF THE FSDO TO EXAMINE THE PLANE, WHICH HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FIELD AND SEQUESTERED IN A HANGAR. IT FAST BECAME APPARENT THAT I HAD BURNED THE FUEL IN THE L TANK TO NEAR ZERO, FORGETTING TO SWITCH TANKS BEFORE STARTING MY ILS TO RWY 36 (I FORGOT THE 'G' IN GUMP). THE R SIDE SHOWED 1/2 TANK WITH FUEL VISIBLE. WE SWITCHED TO THE R TANK AND STARTED THE ENG WITH NO PROBS. I SURMISE THAT WHEN I MADE THAT EXTENDED L TURN WHAT LITTLE FUEL REMAINED IN THE L TANK MIGRATED TO THE END OF THE CELL AND STARVED THE ENG. I WAS SO LOW, MY TROUBLESHOOTING TIME WAS LIMITED TO A FEW SECONDS. WHEN I THOUGHT I SWITCHED TANKS, I APPARENTLY SWITCHED THEM TWICE WHEN I DID NOT GET AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. BY THEN THE GND WAS APCHING. FROM THE TIME OF PWR LOSS TO FULL STOP WAS 20-30 SECONDS. AS STATED, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR THE OCCUPANTS, JUST THE PRIDE OF THE PLT. THE AIRPLANE HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE FAA AND IS BEING GIVEN A 'ONCE OVER' BY THE LCL FBO BEFORE BEING RETURNED TO SVC. LESSONS LEARNED: BE AWARE OF DISTR. I WAS SO INTENT ON DROPPING THE GEAR AT THE MARKER TO SET UP MY DSCNT ON THE ILS, AND COMPENSATING FOR THE NW WIND THAT I DID NOT MAKE THE FUEL SWITCH. USE MY CHKLISTS. TAKE THE TIME TO TOP THE TANKS. THE FLT LASTED 1.1 HRS. AT NO TIME WAS I UNDER THE HOOD. I HAVE LISTED THE FLT AS PLEASURE/TRAINING AS I WAS WORKING TO IMPROVE MY PROFICIENCY. I AM A RATED GLIDER PLT WITH AN EXPIRED CFI-G. IT CAME HANDY! PROPER FUEL MGMNT IS NOW DEEPLY INGRAINED IN MY FLT ROUTINE.

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.