A SIGHTSEEING PLT TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND LNDG OFF ARPT.

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FUEL EXHAUSTION. TOPPED THE TANK THE DAY BEFORE THE FLT. HAD 5 20-MIN FLTS PRIOR TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FUEL GAUGE IS A FLOAT TYPE. ON THE SECOND FLT OF THE DAY; I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE WAS STUCK AT 3/4 FULL. I INCORRECTLY ASSUMED I CAUGHT THE GAUGE ABOUT WHEN IT STUCK AND CALCULATED MY FUEL SIT. THINKING I HAD 3/4 LEFT. THE GAUGE MUST HAVE BEEN STUCK FOR A BIT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT; I ACTUALLY HAD 1/2 TANK LEFT. THE ENG DIED ON A 4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 18 AT RDG. I EXPLAINED TO THE TWR I HAD LOST AN ENG AND LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT IN A POTATO FIELD. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION; I DISCOVERED THAT THE SIGHTSEEING FLTS I WAS CONDUCTING WERE LONGER THAN 20 MINS. OBVIOUSLY THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS MY FAILURE TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE TANK. IN RETROSPECT; THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REASONS I FAILED TO INSPECT THE TANK. PAX WERE ALREADY WAITING WHEN I LANDED; GIVING ME LESS TURNAROUND TIME THAN I WOULD LIKE. THE LAST PAX WAS IN A RUSH TO OVERFLY A FIELD WHERE HIS RADIO CTLED AIRPLANE CLUB WAS PRACTICING UNTIL XB00 PM; IT WAS ALREADY XA40. THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL TANK ON AN SMA IS ON THE TOP WING; TO ACCESS IT ONE MUST CLB ON TOP OF THE ENG COWLING; WHICH WAS QUITE WARM AFTER 80 PLUS MINS OF FLYING ON A 90 DEG DAY. I FLEW THE ACFT OUT OF THE FIELD THE NEXT DAY.