C172R PLT ACCEPTED FBO FUELER'S WORD THAT ACFT WAS PROPERLY FUELED; BUT RAN OUT OF FUEL ENRTE AND MADE EMER LNDG AT ANOTHER ARPT.

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PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT ABILENE FBO; I MADE A PHONE CALL REQUESTING THAT THE ACFT ONLY BE FUELED WITH 30 GALS VERSUS A FULL 40 GALS. THE RATIONALE FOR THIS REQUEST WAS DUE TO THE FACT I HAD 4 ADULTS PLUS MINIMAL BAGGAGE FOR THE TRIP. MY FLT PLAN REQUIRED 17 GALS TO COMPLETE THE TRIP FROM ABILENE DIRECT SPEARMAN; TX. THEREFORE; DUE THE WT AND BAL AND THE REQUIRED 17 GALS; IN MY BEST JUDGEMENT I FELT THAT 30 GALS OF FUEL WOULD BE PLENTY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE FBO I FOUND 2 EMPLOYEES EMPTYING FUEL FROM THE ACFT VIA A PLASTIC TRASH CAN AND THEN EMPTYING IT BACK INTO THE FUEL TRUCK. I ASKED THEM HOW ACCURATE CAN THEY BE WITH SUCH A TECHNIQUE. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY LEFT AT LEAST 30 GALS IN THE TANK; BUT PROBABLY MORE JUST TO BE CONSERVATIVE. ALL 3 OF MY PAX WERE ALSO TOLD AT LEAST 30 GALS OF FUEL WAS IN THE TANKS. I THEN ASKED THE EMPLOYEES (MAINT/FUEL) IF THERE WERE ANY WRITE-UPS (DISCREPANCIES) WITH THE ACFT; AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WASN'T ANY. I BEGAN MY PREFLT. ONCE THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON I CHKED THE FUEL TANK GAUGES. THE R FUEL GAUGE READ FULL AND THE L FUEL GAUGE READ 3/4 FULL. AS I CONTINUED WITH MY PREFLT I VISUALLY CHKED BOTH WING TANKS. ALL I NOTICED WAS THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. HOWEVER; I WASN'T ABLE TO ACCURATELY ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. IN MY BEST JUDGEMENT I NOTICED BOTH TANKS TO BE AT LEAST 1/2 FULL. I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH MY PREFLT AND DECIDED TO TKOF. ONCE CRUISING AT ALT AND APPROX 30 MINS INTO THE FLT I NOTICED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS STILL READING FULL. AT THAT TIME I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE R GAUGE WAS UNRELIABLE. THE L TANK READ A LITTLE OVER 1/2 FULL. AT THAT TIME I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION AND I CHOSE TO TRUST THE ABILENE FBO EMPLOYEES THAT THERE WAS 30 GALS OF FUEL PUT INTO THE ACFT. AT APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT SUDDENLY THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND I HEARD A LOUD BANG. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT WE MAY HAVE LOST A VALVE; PISTON; ETC. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SET UP FOR AN EMER LNDG. MY FRONT PAX (ALSO A PLT) MADE A QUICK CALL TO ZAB STATING THAT WE WERE LNDG IMMEDIATELY AT MEMPHIS ARPT. LUCKILY; WE WERE LOCATED DIRECTLY OVER MEMPHIS ARPT AT AN ALT OF 6500 FT MSL. ONCE ABEAM THE NUMBERS ON THE RWY (I WAS SET UP ON A DOWNWIND) I PULLED THE CARB HEAT ON AND PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO 1500 RPM. OUT OF CURIOSITY I PUSHED IN THE THROTTLE AND I DISCOVERED WE HAD LOST PWR. I CONTINUED WITH THE APCH AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY LAND THE ACFT. ONCE ON THE GND I CHKED THE FUEL TANKS TO FIND THAT WE WERE OUT OF FUEL.