GA SMA FORCED LNDG WHEN FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED FROM LEFT MAIN TANK. RIGHT MAIN HAD 9 GALLONS REMAINING BUT GAUGE INDICATED EMPTY.

Narrative

6 MI OUT OF SNA INBND EXPERIENCED ENG MISS AND ROUGH OPERATION. TURNED ON FUEL PUMP AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. NO EFFECT. RETURNED TO ORIGINAL TANK. STILL NO IMPROVEMENT. 2 MI OUT ENG STOPPED. RPTED AT 6 MI OUT OF PROB; VECTORED FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG ON 19L (COAST APCH 121.3). 2 MI OUT ENG STOPPED. RPTED ENG STOPPAGE. UNABLE TO MAKE RWY 19L. FORCED LNDG ON TXWY ALPHA. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT OR OTHER ACFT. NO TFC ON ALPHA TXWY. NOTIFIED TWR THAT I HAD LANDED INTENTIONALLY ON TXWY ALPHA DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ALT AND AIRSPD. FUEL WAS CALCULATED AT TKOF FOR 40 MINS RESERVE. FUEL QUANTITY INDICATED 9 GALS REMAINING. VISUAL CONFORMATION OF FUEL ON GND AFTER LNDG. I BELIEVE FUEL QUANTITY WAS READING HIGH WHEN TANK WAS IN FACT EMPTY. SWITCHING TO OTHER MAIN TANK WITH 9 GALS REMAINING WAS NOT IN TIME TO RECOVER ENG OPS ON SHORT FINAL. REMEDY CHK AND CALIBRATE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR AND XMITTERS. LEFT MAIN TANK APPEARED TO BE TANK WITH THE MOST FUEL YET RIGHT MAIN TANK VISUALLY HAD MORE FUEL; 9 GALS; AND LEFT APPEARED EMPTY.