AN SMA FREIGHTER PLT HAD A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. HE LANDED AT DEST.

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WHILE DSNDING FROM 8000 MSL IN PREPARATION FOR AN INITIAL APCH ABOUT 26 MI WSW OF MIDLAND INTL ARPT; THE ENG LOST PWR AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. THE ROUGHNESS WAS SUDDEN AND SEEMED RELATED TO FUEL. ALSO THE PLANE WAS USING A MUCH HIGHER FUEL BURN OF 19 GPH AT 8000 MSL INSTEAD OF 14 GPH. THE EMER PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. I SWITCHED FUEL TANK TO THE L FROM THE R. BOTH TANKS SHOWED 3/8 FULL. THE PLANE DROPPED ABOUT 500-800 FT BEFORE THE ENGS RESTARTED AT 6300 MSL. THE FLT CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG. UPON LNDG AND SHUTDOWN; A MECH INSPECTED AND TESTED THE ENG. A ROUGH BANGING WAS APPARENT DURING TESTING AT FULL PWR SETTINGS AND CRUISE PWR. A DETAILED INSPECTION AND FUEL FLOW MEASUREMENT FOLLOWED. NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. A BLUE STREAK OF FUEL WAS VISIBLE FROM THE R FUEL CAP REARWARD TO THE TRAILING EDGE. THE AIRPLANE R TANK SHOWED 1/16 FUEL AFTER INSPECTION WITH DRAINAGE FUEL. AFTER RECEIVING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE MECH; THE R FUEL GAUGES SHOWED EMPTY AND THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING WHEN THE R FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM OF PWR LOSS WAS FUEL EXHAUSTION OF THE R TANK WITH A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE INDICATING 3/8 FUEL AND AN UNKNOWN FUEL LOSS OVER THE FUEL CAP AND HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL FLOWS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTING PLT DOES NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF THE ACFT AS HE WAS LET GO AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE L TANK SHOWED 3/8 WHEN IN FACT IT WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE RPTR IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO FURTHER HIS AVIATION CAREER.