ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION CAUSES SMA PLT TO MAKE AN EMER FORCED LNDG AT AN OFF ARPT SITE IN A NIGHT OP.

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OWNER AND PLT DEPARTED ATHENS ARPT IN AN SMA APPROX PM:15 FEB/SAT/92; FOR FLT CHK OF ACFT PRIOR TO POSSIBLE PURCHASE NEGOTIATIONS; BOUND FOR JACKSON COUNTY ARPT. ACFT FUEL LEVEL WAS CHKED BEFORE FLT. THE R WING TANK GAUGE APPEARED HALF FULL; THE L WING TANK GAUGE APPEARED NEAR EMPTY. THE OWNER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE FLT. UPON TRANSITION FROM CLB TO CRUISE; IT WAS NOTED THAT THE L GAUGE WAS ON EMPTY; AND THE R GAUGE HAD FALLEN RAPIDLY FROM APPROX HALF TANK TO NEAR EMPTY. PLT PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE JACKSON COUNTY ARPT; THE CLOSEST LNDG FACILITY. WHEN APCHING THE JACKSON COUNTY ARPT. PLT EXECUTED LONG FINAL APCH TO RWY 34. APPROX 3 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD OF THE RWY; AT 2500 FT. MSL; THE ACFTS ENG LOST ALL PWR; APPARENTLY DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. PLT EXECUTED FORCED LNDG IN NEWLY PLOWED FIELD NEARBY. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED; AND THE PLT SUFFERED A FUEL LEAK IN FLT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PLTS ALWAYS: 1) ACTUALLY LOOK INTO EACH FUEL TANK AND MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THEREIN AND; 2) CAREFULLY MONITOR FUEL GAUGES IN FLT; KEEPING A RESERVE IN THE EVENT OF UNEXPLAINED RAPID FUEL DEPLETION.