AN SMA LANDED OFF ARPT AT NIGHT.

Narrative

I ARRIVED IN DECATUR; IL ABOUT XA30 PM ON NOV/MON/93. I ASKED THE FBO TO TOP THE ACFT OFF WITH 100 LOW LEAD FUEL; AND ADD 2 QUARTS OF OIL TO THE ENG. APPROX AN HR LATER; I ARRIVED BACK TO THE FBO. I INQUIRED ABOUT THE FUELING AND THE ADDITION OF THE OIL; AND WAS ASSURED THAT THESE THINGS HAD BEEN DONE. I THEN DID THE PREFLT OF THE ACFT. DURING THIS PREFLT PROC; I DID NOT DETECT ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE FUEL CAPS. AT APPROX XC00 PM; I DEPARTED DEC WITH MY DEST OF MANKATO; MN. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 5000 FT; I DETECTED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS ONLY INDICATING A FOURTH OF A TANK OF FUEL; THE L FUEL GAUGE WAS INDICATING A FULL TANK. AT THIS TIME; I BECAME CONCERNED BY THE R FUEL GAUGE READING AND FELT THE BREAKERS TO BE SURE THAT NONE OF THE FUSES HAD BECOME DISENGAGED. I ALSO ROCKED THE WINGS TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF A FLOAT BEING STUCK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL GAUGES REMAINED AT THE SAME LEVELS. I WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE FACT THAT SMA FUEL GAUGES HAVE BEEN NOTED TO BE INACCURATE. I HAVE FLOWN THIS ACFT OVER 500 HRS; AND HAVE SEEN INACCURACIES MANY TIMES IN THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS. AFTER CHKING THE FUSES AND ROCKING THE WINGS; I DECIDED TO CHANGE FROM USING FUEL FROM BOTH TANKS TO USING THE FUEL FROM THE L TANK FOR APPROX 30 MINS. AT THIS TIME; I AGAIN SWITCHED TANKS AND USED FUEL FROM THE R TANK. MY REASONING FOR THIS PROC WAS THAT I WAS NOT TOTALLY SURE THAT THERE WAS NOT THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROB WITH THE L TANK; AND THAT BY SWITCHING I COULD ASSURE MYSELF THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE FUEL FOR A SAFE LNDG AT AN ARPT. AT THIS POINT; THE ENG STOPPED. I SWITCHED TO THE R FUEL TANK; AND RESTARTED THE ENG. I THEN CONTACTED WATERLOO APCH; INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUEL- RELATED PROB; AND WAS CLRED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS; THE ENG AGAIN STOPPED. I AGAIN CONTACTED WATERLOO APCH; AND INFORMED THEM OF THE DEAD ENG; AND THAT I WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO LAND AT THE INDEPENDENCE ARPT. WATERLOO APCH ASSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE EMER VEHICLES ENRTE. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE INDEPENDENCE RWY; AND PUT THE ACFT DOWN IN A FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. AFTER THE LNDG; AN INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED A FUEL CAP DANGLING BY ITS CHAIN ON THE WING; THE WING BEING COVERED WITH FUEL.