C172 PLT INADVERTENTLY RAN OUT OF FUEL AND MADE AN EMER DEAD STICK LNDG ON A HWY.

Narrative

I HAD PLANNED TO FLY FROM OMN TO SEM. SEM WAS TO BE THE FIRST OF MY 2 PLANNED STOPS FOR FUEL (AND REST) ON THE WAY TO MY ULTIMATE DEST IN MISSOURI. I CALCULATED THAT THE TRIP WOULD TAKE JUST OVER 3 HRS IN THE C172 THAT I WOULD BE FLYING. IN THIS FLT PLAN; I ALSO CALCULATED THAT I WOULD REACH SELMA WITH ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING. THIS PLAN CHANGED ABOUT 15 MI N OF OZARK; AL; WHEN MY ENG HAD ITS FIRST HICCUP. I WAS SPEAKING TO CAIRNS APCH AT THAT TIME; AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT. I TURNED AROUND; HDG FOR BLACKWELL (71J). ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FROM THE ARPT; THE PROP STOPPED. I WAS ONLY 1 MI FROM BLACKWELL; AND HEADING STRAIGHT IN FOR ITS ONLY RWY; WHEN I KNEW THAT I WAS LOSING ALT TOO FAST TO CLR THE TREES THAT SURROUNDED THE ARPT. PASSING THROUGH 1000 FT MSL; I DETERMINED THAT THE ROAD TO THE R OF THE ARPT WAS THE BEST OPTION AVAILABLE TO ME. FORTUNATELY; NEITHER I NOR THE PLANE WAS HURT. I BEGAN INSPECTING THE PLANE TO FIND OUT WHAT WENT WRONG; AND SOON DISCOVERED THE PROB -- THE TANKS WERE EMPTY. MY FORCED LNDG WAS NOT A RESULT OF SOME MECHANICAL FAILURE; BUT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY ME ALONE. BECAUSE OF MY OWN ACTION -- OR INACTION -- I HAD TO MAKE AN OFF-ARPT LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE MORE I GO OVER THIS SIT IN MY HEAD; THE MORE CERTAIN ELEMENTS MATERIALIZE AND STAND OUT. THE PREFLT -- I HAD COMPLETED; RECHKED; AND STUDIED MY FLT PLAN. I HAD OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AND FILED MY FLT PLAN. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE TO PREFLT THE ACFT. I DID A COMPLETE PREFLT. I PUT IN AN ORDER FOR FUEL. GETTING OUT TO CHK THE NEW FUEL; ANOTHER PLT OFFERED TO CHK IT FOR ME. I CONSENTED. THIS WAS MY FIRST BIGGEST MISTAKE. BY ALLOWING ANOTHER PERSON TO CHK MY FUEL TANKS BEFORE TKOF; I FAILED TO ADHERE TO A CLRLY STATED REG. IT ALSO INDICATES A LAPSE IN MY OWN COMMON SENSE THAT DIRECTLY COMPROMISED MY SAFETY; AND POTENTIALLY COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ON THE GND. IT IS ALSO A GOOD LESSON IN THE IMPORTANCE OF STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE FARS -- THERE IS A REASON BEHIND EACH OF THE RULES THAT WE FOLLOW AS PLTS.