PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG AFTER THE ENG QUIT DUE FUEL STARVATION.

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AN OFF-ARPT LNDG WAS MADE ON A MISSOURI STATE HWY AFTER ENG STOPPAGE SUSPECTED TO BE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE INITIAL FLT WAS PLANNED TO BE VFR DAY FROM PONCA CITY; OK; TO VINITA; OK; AND RETURN. UPON LNDG AT VINITA; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIELD WAS UNATTENDED AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO PROCEED TO NEOSHO; MO TO REFUEL. A SERIES OF EVENTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL EXHAUSTION SIT: 1) STRONGER THAN EXPECTED S WINDS WHICH RESULTED IN OFF- COURSE HDGS; 2) THE NEOSHO; MO; VOR WAS OTS AND NO OTHER VORS WERE AVAILABLE WITHIN RECEPTION RANGE AT THE ALTS NORMAL FOR THIS TRIP. THESE 2 FACTORS RESULTED IN DISORIENTATION; BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF PROPER FUEL PLANNING. THE ACFT BURNS APPROX 5 GALS PER HR AT CRUISE THIS SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH MY DEST. WHILE I WAS TAUGHT AND RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT RELYING ON THE FUEL GAUGES; I HAD NEGLECTED TO CONSIDER IN MY CALCULATIONS A SHORT LCL CHK-OUT FLT MADE EARLIER THAT MORNING. THEREFORE; MY CALCULATED RESERVES WERE QUICKLY EXHAUSTED WHILE I SEARCHED UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN FOR LANDMARKS IN THE NEOSHO AREA. THE IMPORTANT LESSONS I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE WERE TO: 1) ALLOW FOR LONGER THAN 'MINIMUM' GAS RESERVES; 2) NEVER CHANCE MAKING THE 'NEXT' ARPT -- CALL OUT SOMEONE IF NEEDED; 3) PAY CLOSER ATTN TO WIND DRIFT AND LANDMARKS AND 4) PROPERLY ACCOUNT FOR ALL FUEL BURNS INCLUDING PRELIMINARY PATTERN WORK; TOUCH AND GO'S; ETC.