C172 PLT LANDS ON CLOSED RWY AT LXL WITH SUSPECTED FUEL LEAK.

Narrative

I WAS MANEUVERING; TAKING PICTURES; WHEN I HAD A SMALL BIRD STRIKE WHILE IN A 45 DEG L BANK. THE BIRD STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD AND APPEARED TO PASS OVER MY R WING CLOSE TO ITS ROOT. UPON ROLLING OUT OF THE BANK; I NOTICED MY R FUEL GAUGE SHOWING A CONSIDERABLE DROP. ASSUMING THAT THE STRIKE HAD KNOCKED MY FUEL CAP LOOSE AND ANTICIPATING A RAPID LOSS OF FUEL; I ELECTED TO LAND AS URGENTLY AS POSSIBLE. MY GPS INDICATED THE LITTLE FALLS (MORRISON COUNTY) ARPT AS BEING THE CLOSEST ARPT (7 MI NNE). I IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO THIS ARPT AND TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO RAISE THE UNICOM 3-5 TIMES. I BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS AND MADE A L BASE APCH TO RWY 30. UPON LNDG; I INSPECTED (VISUALLY) MY FUEL SIT; WHICH DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AS I HAD PRESUMED (THE GAUGE MUST HAVE TEMPORARILY STUCK). I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED DUE TO RESURFACING. THERE WERE NO MEN OR EQUIP ON THE RWY. THE YELLOW X'S AT THE ENDS WERE NOT BY THE APCH THRESHOLD AND I MUST HAVE MISSED THEM IN MY URGENCY TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. THE DECISION I MADE WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY.