PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER RUNNING LOW ON FUEL.

Narrative

ON THE RETURN LEG OF A FLT TO THE WASHINGTON; DC; AREA; IN AN ATTEMPT TO STAY AHEAD OF RPTEDLY WORSENING WX; I SHORTENED MY VISIT AND ELECTED TO DEPART IN THE EVENING OF THE NOV/XX. #1 IN A CHAIN OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WAS MY NOT GETTING TOPPED OFF AFTER LNDG AT COLLEGE PARK; MD. I DID NOT THINK ABOUT GETTING FUEL UNTIL ABOUT 20 MINS LATER; AT WHICH TIME I WAS ENRTE (BY CAR) TO DELAWARE; ABOUT A 2 1/2 HR DRIVE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO FLT SVC DURING THE NEXT 2 DAYS; REGARDING THE MOVEMENT OF A LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVING TOWARDS THE AREA; I ELECTED TO DEPART AHEAD OF THE INCLEMENT WX (VFR PLT). I THEN CALLED THE ARPT REQUESTING A FUEL TOP-OFF AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL TRUCK ON THE FIELD; AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE TO BE MOVED TO THE FUEL FARM TO BE REFUELED; AND THAT FUEL WAS AVAILABLE 24 HRS. AFTER DRIVING 2 1/2 HRS TO THE DEP ARPT (COLLEGE PARK); I FOUND THAT NO FUEL FACILITY WAS OPEN AT THAT HR. I THEN DECIDED TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY AND DID SO APPROX XA20 AM LCL TIME. THE FORECASTED WINDS WERE APPROX THE SAME (8-10 MPH HEADWIND) AS I HAD EXPERIENCED ON THE WAY DOWN; AND I STILL HAD (ACCORDING TO GAUGES) 1 1/8 FULL TANKS (18 GALLONS). IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF; I REDUCED PWR DOWN TO WHAT I ESTIMATED TO BE THE MOST ECONOMICAL FUEL BURN; 2000 RPM; LEANED. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE CUTTING IT CLOSE TO PRESCRIBED MINIMUMS; BUT IF THINGS LOOKED BAD I WOULD CALL APCH TO SEE IF THEY KNEW OF AN ARPT OPEN WITH FUEL; OR AT WORST; AN ARPT WITHOUT FUEL THAT I COULD LAND AT AND WAIT TILL MORNING FOR FUEL. THIS LEG OF THE TRIP TO CAPE COD HAD A SCHEDULED FUEL STOP AT TETERBORO. AFTER PASSING PHILADELPHIA; IT BECAME QUESTIONABLE AS TO WHETHER IT WOULD BE SAFE TO CONTINUE ON TO TRY FOR TETERBORO. I HAD REQUESTED ADVISORIES AND FLT FOLLOWING SINCE DEP; SO I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC. I CALLED AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW OF AN ARPT CLOSER THAN TETERBORO THAT HAD FUEL AVAILABLE AT THAT HR (ABOUT XC00 AM). THEY SAID THEY DID NOT; AND IN FACT WAS APCHING THE END OF THEIR AIRSPACE;AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT NEW YORK. I MADE THE SAME REQUEST OF NY. ABOUT A MIN LATER; I AGAIN CALLED NY AND ASKED IF; FAILING THE PREVIOUS REQUEST; IF THEY KNEW OF AN ARPT WITH A NEARBY GAS STATION THAT MIGHT BE OPEN ALL NIGHT; AS THE AIRPLANE I WAS FLYING; AN SMA; WAS STC'D FOR AUTOGAS. THIS; THEY INFORMED ME; THEY HAD NO IDEA AT ALL ABOUT; AND ASKED ME HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD REMAINING ON BOARD. I RESPONDED WITH AN ESTIMATE BASED ON FUEL GAUGE INDICATORS; WHICH I THINK WAS ABOUT 40 MINS. THEY TOLD ME THAT NEWARK WAS AVAILABLE WITH FUEL; AND THAT IT WAS 10 MI SHORT OF TETERBORO. THEY ASKED ME WHICH I WOULD BE LNDG AT. I CHOSE NEWARK. THEY ASKED ME TWICE MORE HOW MUCH FUEL WAS REMAINING; THE LAST TIME ABOUT 4 MI FROM NEWARK. I ANSWERED 15-20 MINS. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT NEWARK; I TAXIED UP TO THE FBO AND WAS TOPPED OFF WITH 28 GALLONS. USABLE FUEL IS 32 GALLONS; SO IT TURNS OUT THAT I HAD 4 GALLONS REMAINING; WHICH AT NORMAL FUEL BURN RATE (2400 RPM; 7 1/2 GPH) WAS APPROX 33 MINS. AT THE REDUCED PWR SETTING OF 2000 RPM; MY ESTIMATE PUTS THE ACTUAL FUEL REMAINING AT APPROX 45 MINS; THOUGH IN MY MIND I BELIEVED I HAD LESS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NEGLECTING TO REFUEL UPON LNDG. BELIEVING THE FBO THAT FUEL WOULD BE AVAILABLE 24 HRS. WINDS ALOFT WERE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN HAD BEEN FORECASTED. FLYING AT AN UNFAMILIAR AND ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE PWR SETTING I WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY PREDICT AND CALCULATE FUEL BURN RATE AND FUEL REMAINING; AND RELIED INSTEAD OF GAUGE INDICATORS. FLYING AT UNFAMILIARLY LOW READINGS ON THE FUEL GAUGES; I WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY READ FUEL REMAINING IN GALLONS. SUGGESTIONS TO OTHER PLTS FOR AVOIDING SIMILAR SITS: REFUEL AFTER LNDG. ASK ATC ABOUT REFUELING EARLY IN THE TRIP; SO YOU CAN BETTER PLAN THE FLT. I'M SURE BALTIMORE AND PHILADELPHIA WOULD HAVE HAD FUEL AVAILABLE. SUGGESTIONS TO ATC CTRS: WHILE I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUEL PLANNING AND MGMNT ENRTE; I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO PROVIDE ATC WITH A LIST OF ARPTS WITH FUEL AVAILABLEAND HRS OF AVAILABILITY; PERHAPS WITH TELEPHONE NUMBER BACKUP; FOR IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION OF SUCH STATED AVAILABILITY; AND ARPTS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF ALL-NIGHT GAS STATIONS; PERHAPS INCLUDING TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF SUCH STATIONS; AND AVAILABILITY OF FUEL CONTAINERS) FOR TRANSPORTING FUEL; IN THE INTEREST OF HELPING TO AVOID FUEL EMERS; ESPECIALLY IF THE ACFT IS STC'D FOR AUTOFUEL.