SMA PLT RUNS OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative

THE FLT WAS FROM MFI TO 2R8. DEPARTED MFI VFR. I WOULD FLY VFR AS FAR S; THEN FLY IFR WHEN NEEDED. I LANDED AT ALO; FUELED UP; CHKED WX; AND DEPARTED TOWARD DSM. I LANDED AT DSM TO GET FUEL AND IFR CHARTS. I HAD MUCH TROUBLE FINDING IFR CHARTS AND THIS IS WHERE MY MISTAKE CAME IN. IN DEALING WITH FINDING THESE CHARTS; WHICH WERE MANDATORY BECAUSE FARTHER S WAS IFR; I INADVERTENTLY FORGOT TO FUEL. IN MY PREFLT; I WAS SO PROGRAMMED TO GET FUEL AT EVERY STOP; I MISTAKENLY SAW FULL TANKS. I HAD ALL THE CHARTS AND APCH PLATES AND WAS ON MY WAY TO TUL. I AM NOT EXACTLY SURE AT WHAT POINT THIS HAPPENED OR IF THIS WAS COINCIDENTAL; BUT MY ENG WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH AT TIMES AND IN DIAGNOSING THE PROB IT FINALLY DAWNED ON ME THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO GET FUEL AT DSM. I LET ARTCC KNOW OF MY ROUGH RUNNING ENG AND TOLD THEM I WOULD KEEP THEM ADVISED. I FELT CONFIDENT THAT I WOULD MAKE MY DEST WITH PROPER RESERVES DUE TO A VERY STRONG TAILWIND AND MY FUEL GAUGES CONFIRMED THAT. AS TIME PASSED; I NOTICED MY FUEL GAUGES WERE STUCK. AT THIS TIME; I WAS CONCERNED AND ADVISED ATC. THEY ADVISED ME OF ALL THE ALTERNATES; BUT THE WX WAS NOT PERMITTING. I CONTINUED TO HAVE ENG ROUGHNESS FOR ABOUT 1 HR. I TRIED SWITCHING TANKS AND CARB HEAT. THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE MUCH CHANGE. FINALLY; MY ENG QUIT. I TRIED TO REACH ZKC AND TUL APCH BOTH FOR ABOUT 2-3 MINS. FINALLY; I TUNED IN 121.5 AND ISSUED A MAYDAY 3 TIMES. I THEN WAS IN TOUCH WITH TUL. HE ADVISED ME TO SWITCH TO HIS FREQ AND THAT THERE WAS AN ARPT IN MY VICINITY. HE VECTORED ME TO THE ARPT AND I LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. MY PROB WITH THIS FLT WAS LOOKING WITHOUT SEEING. I AM SO HABITUATED TO FUELING AT EVERY STOP; THAT I LOOKED AT THE FUEL LEVEL AND SAW FULL BECAUSE I EXPECTED TO. I NOW WILL MAKE SURE I ACTUALLY SEE WHAT I EXPECT TO SEE BEFORE I DETERMINE A SIT.