C210 ENG QUIT ON FINAL CAUSING PLT TO MAKE FORCED LNDG ON A HWY JUST SHORT OF THE ARPT.

Narrative

AFTER DOING MAINT ON THE LNDG GEAR; I TEST FLEW THE AIRPLANE. AT THE END OF THE FLT WHILE IN THE PATTERN ON DOWNWIND; THE ENG SPUTTERED SHORTLY PAST 'ABEAM THE NUMBERS.' I INCREASED THE MIXTURE; CHANGED FUEL TANKS; AND INCREASED PWR. THIS APPEARED TO FIX THE PROB. ON BASE; THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY MORE PROBS. ONCE I TURNED ON FINAL AND THE ENG SPUTTERED AGAIN AND QUIT; I CHANGED TANKS AGAIN AND CHKED THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE AND PUT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON WITH NO CHANGE IN THE ENG. AT THIS POINT I WAS UNDER 500 FT AGL AND APPROX 1.5 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 36 AT MIDVALLEY AIRPARK. AT THIS TIME I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND ON HWY 314 IN LOS LUNAS; NM. AT THE TIME THIS DECISION WAS MADE; I WAS OUT OF ALT AND TIME TO FURTHER TROUBLESHOOT AND RESTART THE ENG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE FOUND THAT THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE FUEL TANK GAUGES SHOWED 1/4 FULL SO HE LOOKED INTO THE TANK WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND ASSUMED SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR A SHORT MAINT FLT. HOWEVER; THAT DID NOT PROVE TO BE THE CASE SINCE THE ENG RAN OUT OF FUEL AFTER A SHORT LCL FLT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A STICK AVAILABLE WITH WHICH TO CHK THE FUEL MORE ACCURATELY.