PLT OF A SKYDIVING JUMP CESSNA 182 RAN OUT OF FUEL DURING TURN TO BASE RESULTING IN THE ENG QUITTING AND AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE SOLE OCCUPANT; THE RPTR; AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

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I WAS RETURNING FROM A JUMP RUN WHEN THE OCCURRENCE HAPPENED AUG/XA/97. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING FROM 1 1/2 MI DOWNWIND TO A WIDE BASE LEG IN THE TFC PATTERN AT FRANKFORT MUNICIPAL ARPT; THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER; THEN QUIT. ALL OF THE JUMPERS WERE OUT OF THE AIRPLANE. I WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT. AT THE TIME THAT THE CONTINENTAL 0-470-R OF THE 1967 CESSNA 182K QUIT; I WAS APPROX 700- 800 FT AGL OVER THE NW CORNER OF JEFFERSON; IN. AT THAT TIME; I IMMEDIATELY TURNED FOR THE ARPT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS IN MY PATH; PLUS IT WAS A PATH DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND. THE OTHER FIELDS THAT I OBSERVED WERE ALL CORN FIELDS AS WELL. I GLIDED APPROX 1 AND A QUARTER MI BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORN FIELD APPROX 1500 FT FROM THE END OF RWY 9 AT FKR. THE SAFETY OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY ON THE GND WERE MY FIRST PRIORITY. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO USE THE EMER CHKLIST PUBLISHED; SO I USED MY MENTAL FLOW STARTING WITH BEST GLIDE SPD TO TRY A RESTART. IT FAILED TO RESTART. I THEN KEPT A CALM MINDSET AND CTLED THE ACFT UNTIL IT STOPPED. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS MINOR. A FEW DENTS IN THE HORIZ STABILIZER; SOME IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING; AND ALSO SOME DENTS IN THE COWL WERE INCURRED; AS WELL AS A DENTED FIREWALL WITH SKIN RIPPLES ON THE R SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WAS THE MOST DAMAGED (BUCKLED) PART OF THE AIRPLANE THAT WAS NOTED. TWO RIVETS WERE POPPED AS A RESULT OF THIS. I WAS NOT INJURED. I WALKED AWAY AFTER SECURING THE AIRPLANE TO GET HELP. MY BEST CONCLUSION AS TO WHY THE ENG QUIT WAS FUEL STARVATION. MY THEORY WAS VERIFIED BY A MECH WHO SUMPED THE TANKS. ABOUT 1/3 CUP OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE ENG. BOTH TANKS (WING TANKS) WERE DRY. I KNEW I WAS LOW ON FUEL; AND RADIOED THE DROP ZONE THAT 'I NEED SOME GAS.' I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW LOW. NORMALLY; IN OUR SKYDIVING OPS; THERE IS ENOUGH FUEL; 40 GALLONS IN THE C182; FOR 3 HIGH LOADS OR 6 LOW LOADS. I HAD FLOWN 1 HIGH LOAD AND 2 LOW LOADS PREVIOUS TO THE LAST LOAD. SO; LOGICALLY; I HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR AT LEAST 1 LOW LOAD. THAT IS WHY I DID NOT CHOOSE TO FUEL UP BEFORE THIS LAST LOAD. SOME DELAYS; ALTHOUGH VERY SHORT; WERE INCURRED ON 2 OF MY PREVIOUS LOADS. THERE WAS ABOUT 30 GALLONS; AT THE START OF THE DAY; IN THE TANKS.