Narrative:

My airplane holds 92 gal (88 useable). Normal fuel burn is 13gph (11gph above 8;000ft). The day before the event I flew to ZZZ in 3.5 hours. At ZZZ I requested the FBO to fill the tanks with 20 gal (10gal/side); anticipating a 3 hour return flight and about 1.5 reserve upon arrival. However 15 minutes short of arriving at ZZZ1 the engine started surging and lost all power. I [advised ATC] and received immediate vectors for ZZZ2. Due to a strong tail wind I was within easy glide distance from ZZZ2. The power off landing was uneventful. By my calculations I should have had about 25 gallons remaining at that point. Both fuel caps were in place and appeared to have been closed properly; there were no fuel stains (leaks) detected and (routine) leaning took place during all phases of flight. Upon inquiring with the ZZZ FBO I was told the line person had filled the aircraft to my specifications with 20 gallons (I had paid for 21.1 gallons) and that they had filled my aircraft. Yes I was 20 gallons short.my mistakes: I did not witness the fueling and I specified a relatively small amount of fuel to be added. I did not dipstick the level prior to departure (it was raining and we were trying to get out before the next storm hit). I did not trust my fuel gauges and relied solely on flying hours and fuel burn experience.my learnings: either witness or inspect proper fueling. Meaning; when not witnessing or fueling myself; fill up completely; since other than 'full'; exact quantity is difficult to measure. Trust my cessna fuel gauges more; if they indicate 'empty' then the tanks are truly empty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 pilot reported fuel starvation with subsequent power loss and a successful landing at an airport. The pilot did not witness fueling of his aircraft nor dipstick the tanks; but did pay for enough fuel to return.

Narrative: My airplane holds 92 Gal (88 useable). Normal fuel burn is 13gph (11gph above 8;000ft). The day before the event I flew to ZZZ in 3.5 hours. At ZZZ I requested the FBO to fill the tanks with 20 gal (10gal/side); anticipating a 3 hour return flight and about 1.5 reserve upon arrival. However 15 minutes short of arriving at ZZZ1 the engine started surging and lost all power. I [advised ATC] and received immediate vectors for ZZZ2. Due to a strong tail wind I was within easy glide distance from ZZZ2. The power off landing was uneventful. By my calculations I should have had about 25 gallons remaining at that point. Both fuel caps were in place and appeared to have been closed properly; there were no fuel stains (leaks) detected and (routine) leaning took place during all phases of flight. Upon inquiring with the ZZZ FBO I was told the line person had filled the aircraft to my specifications with 20 gallons (I had paid for 21.1 gallons) and that they had filled MY aircraft. Yes I was 20 gallons short.My mistakes: I did not witness the fueling and I specified a relatively small amount of fuel to be added. I did not dipstick the level prior to departure (it was raining and we were trying to get out before the next storm hit). I did not trust my fuel gauges and relied solely on flying hours and fuel burn experience.My learnings: Either witness or inspect proper fueling. Meaning; when not witnessing or fueling myself; fill up completely; since other than 'full'; exact quantity is difficult to measure. Trust my Cessna fuel gauges more; if they indicate 'empty' then the tanks are truly empty.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.