TAIL WHEEL ACFT HAS GND LOOP ON LNDG.

Narrative

FLT ORIGINATED IN RUTHERFORDTON; NC. PLANE WAS LOADED WITH 3 PERSONS; INCLUDING MYSELF AND 30 LBS OF BAGGAGE. FUEL TANKS (4) WERE ALL FULL. TKOF AND ENRTE PHASE OF FLT WERE NORMAL AND CONDITIONS WERE VFR. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. A WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED PRIOR TO DEPARTING 57A; AND CONDITIONS ENRTE WERE AS FORECAST (STRONG HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATED RTE; VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT AND THERE WERE ONLY VERY HIGH (ABOVE 18000 FT); SCATTERED CLOUDS. THE INTENDED DEST WAS LAWTON; OK; AND ENRTE IT WAS DECIDED WE WOULD LAND AT MUSCLE SHOALS FOR FUEL AND FOOD. APCHED MUSCLE SHOALS FROM THE E-NE AND CROSSED OVER THE 'ACTIVE' RWY 29 MID-FIELD AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL. THE WINDSOCK INDICATED APPROX WINDS FROM 270 DEGS AND OTHER LCL TFC WAS ALSO USING RWY 29. THE L DOWNWIND LEG; BASE LEG AND FINAL APCH WERE 'NORMAL' AND I TOUCHED DOWN WITH 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS. THE TAIL WHEEL ALSO TOUCHED DOWN; WITH THE PWR AT IDLE. THE ACFT SUDDENLY VEERED R (L WING LOW) AND I APPLIED CORRECTIVE AILERON AND RUDDER (L) AND ADDED PWR. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY AT APPROX 90 DEGS TO THE CTRLINE AND WAS STOPPED WITHIN 20 FT OF THE EDGE OF THE RWY. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A BENT L WHEEL STRUT AND A SCRAPE ON THE L WINGTIP; AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS FALLS UNDER NTSB 830 RPTING REQUIREMENTS. THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; IN FACT THE WHEEL WAS BENT BACK INTO PLACE THE FOLLOWING DAY; AND; ONCE A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED; THE ACFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO RUTHERFORDTON FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE WHEEL STRUT AND WINGTIP. ONCE EXITING THE ACFT; WE ESTIMATED THE WINDS TO BE GUSTY AND VARIABLE FROM ABOUT 250 DEGS TO 300 DEGS AT 10-20 KTS; PERHAPS 25 KTS. DURING THE ENRTE PORTION OF THE FLT; I HAD SELECTED 'BOTH' ON THE FUEL SELECTOR (BOTH TANKS ARE UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES SUPPOSED TO FEED THE ENG). WE NOTICED AFTER ABOUT 2 HRS THAT THE L TANK WAS NOT FEEDING AND AT THAT TIME SELECTED JUST THE L TANK. AT THE TIME OF LNDG; A CONSIDERABLE FUEL IMBALANCE EXISTED AND THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE NOT INDICATING THE SIT AND WERE IN FACT 'BOUNCING' FROM FULL TO EMPTY IN LIGHT TURB OR DURING TURNS WHILE ENRTE. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR APPROX 7-8 HRS; AFTER APPROX 7 HRS OF RESTFUL SLEEP. WIND WAS MOST CERTAINLY A FACTOR BUT NO OTHER WX CONDITIONS EXISTED WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTRIBUTORY.