OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative

ON THURSDAY; JUL/XX/94 I WAS FLYING A C-150 FROM TROUTDALE; OR TO SAN CARLOS; CA. FOR MY ALT AND PWR SETTING; I ESTIMATED MY RANGE TO BE 4.1 HRS BY USING THE PLT/OPERATOR HANDBOOK. AS OLDER ACFT NEVER RUN QUITE AS THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS CLAIM THEY DO; I SUBTRACTED MY 30 MIN 'FUDGE FACTOR' ALONG WITH MY 30 MIN RESERVE TO ARRIVE AT A 3.1 HR MAX CRUISE. THE ACFT TANKS WERE FULL; AND THE PLANE WAS PARKED SIDEWAYS ON A SHALLOW INCLINE TO MINIMIZE SPILLAGE OUT OF THE BREATHER TUBE. I DEPARTED TROUTDALE AT XA30 PST. AT XC50 I WAS NEAR SCOTT VALLEY ARPT. I CONTACTED THE UNICOM AT SCOTT VALLEY; AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL SVC AVAILABLE. MY 1994 COMMERCIAL ARPT FACILITIES GUIDE SUPPORTED THAT INFO AS DID MY CURRENT KLAMATH FALLS SECTIONAL. AT XD20 I LANDED AT LONNIE POOL FIELD IN WEAVERVILLE; CA. I HAD ATTEMPTED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ON THE UNICOM FREQ BEFORE I LANDED; BUT MY CALLS WENT UNANSWERED. I HEADED FOR THAT ARPT PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE SYMBOL DEPICTING IT ON THE SECTIONAL DESCRIBES IT AS HAVING 'SVCS -- FUEL AVAILABLE...' THERE WERE NO NOTAMS ADVISING TO THE CONTRARY; AND MY COMMERCIAL DIRECTORY SAID THAT THE FLYING SVC HAD 100LL. WHEN I LANDED THERE; I WAS ADVISED THAT THEY HADN'T HAD FUEL SVC THERE IN OVER A YR. HOW WAS I TO KNOW? NEAREST FUEL WAS BENTON FIELD IN REDDING. I ESTIMATED ABOUT 40 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD; AND DEPARTED FOR BENTON FIELD (20 MINS AWAY) AT XD40. AT XD55; MY FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED AND THE ENG QUIT. I DECLARED AN EMER ON BENTON FIELD'S UNICOM FREQ (122.8) AND LANDED ON STATE RTE 299. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; OR PROPERTY DAMAGE; DUE MOSTLY TO LUCK. AS IN ANY FUEL EXHAUSTION SIT; THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY; BUT I CAN'T HELP FEELING BETRAYED BY A SYS THAT CLAIMS TO WORK SO WELL.