RPTR PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative

JUN/XA/95; XA30; PREFLTED ACFT; INCLUDING VISUALLY CHKING FUEL LEVEL. ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE FUEL IN BOTH TANKS TO SLIGHTLY BELOW FILLER NECK. BOTH FUEL GAUGES INDICATED FULL. DEPARTED RNV AT XB00; PICKED UP PAX AT M37; ARRIVED LMS AT XC15. WHEN READY FOR DEP FROM LMS; PREFLTED ACFT; INCLUDING VISUALLY CHKING FUEL LEVEL. ACFT TANKS APPEARED TO BE APPROX HALF FULL; AND THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED THE SAME. DEPARTED LMS AT XC25; ENRTE TO RNV WITH A PLANNED STOP AT M37. ACFT ENG STOPPED 4-6 MI E M37. LANDED ACFT IN FIELD AT XE10. PRIOR TO TIME ACFT ENG STOPPED; THE FUEL GAUGES BECAME INTERMITTENT -- SHOWING APPROX 1/4 FULL; THEN SHOWING EMPTY; AND BACK AGAIN TO SHOW AMPLE FUEL. UPON INSPECTING THE ACFT; THE FAA WAS ABLE TO SALVAGE APPROX 2 QUARTS OF FUEL. OBVIOUSLY; ONCE THE FUEL READINGS BECAME QUESTIONABLE; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BEST TO LAND AND TRY TO DETERMINE THE REASON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A CESSNA 172 BELONGING TO A FRIEND. HE HAD FLOWN THIS AIRPLANE ON THIS RTE ONCE BEFORE. HE SAID HE CLBED UP ON THE WING AND SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS ADEQUATE FUEL BOTH AT M37 AND LMS. THE TANKS WERE NOT FULL AT M37 BUT LOOKED ALMOST FULL AND THE GAUGES SAID THE TANKS WERE FULL. THE GAUGES READ HALF FULL AT LMS AND SINCE THE TANKS WERE NOT FULL AT M37; THAT SUBSTANTIATED HIS CONFIDENCE HE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL TO GET BACK WHERE HE CAME FROM WHICH WAS LESS THAN AN HR. IT TOOK HIM AN HR AND 15 MINS TO TRAVEL THE 85 NM FLT TO MLS IN THE C-172 WHICH TRUES OUT OVER 100 KTS. HE WAS ONLY 45 MINS INTO THE FLT BACK WHEN HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE CESSNA 172 PROPERLY LEANED BURNS LESS THAN 8 GALS OF GAS PER HR; SO WHEN HE ORIGINALLY LEFT M37 HE ONLY HAD ABOUT 8 GALS IN EACH TANK AND YET THE GAUGES READ FULL. HE SAID HE LETS THE OWNER FUEL THE AIRPLANE. THE FAA RESOLVED THE ISSUE BY HAVING THE RPTR TAKE 3 HRS REMEDIAL TRAINING FROM A FLT INSTRUCTOR ON PREFLT; PREFLT PLANNING AND FUEL MGMNT. HE THEN HAD TO TAKE A CHK RIDE. THE AIRPLANE HAD MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGTIPS AND IS NOT YET BACK FLYING.