Narrative:

I left wiley post airport (pwa) with full tanks on an IFR flight plan to tqh on saturday morning. I flew 3 additional short VFR flts around tqh late saturday afternoon. I left tqh at approximately XA30 sunday and filed a VFR flight plan with mcalester FSS to pwa. I had attempted to top off the airplane with fuel at tqh but could not get the pump to work even with the help of 2 local experienced pilots. My fuel gauges were reading 3/4 full on departure. I visually inspected the tanks and the level of fuel appeared to match the gauges. I read the hobbs meter to be 2.3 since leaving pwa, therefore I thought I had flown a total of 2.3 hours. The flight back to pwa was planned to be 1.5 hours. I thought I had 3.0 hours fuel onboard leaving tqh. The engine quit approximately 7 mi from pwa on a visual straight-in approach to runway 17L. I declared an emergency and went through the checklist procedures. The engine restarted and I was able to climb 300 ft before it quit again. I changed destination to sundance airport (hsd) which was closer with fewer houses and obstructions. I landed in a wheat field approximately 1.5 mi ene of hsd. There was no damage to the aircraft and there were no injuries. On landing in the wheat field, the left tank indicated 1/2 full and the right tank indicated 1/4 full. The hobbs meter indicated I had flown 5.2 hours since leaving pwa. I now believe I miscalculated the time flown when I read the hobbs meter on preflight at tqh, however, the fuel gauge indications correlated with 2.3 hours flown. I watched the fuel gauges in flight and they seemed to be adjusting to the planned fuel consumption per flight time. There were many airports at which to refuel between tqh and pwa had I thought it advisable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT MADE AN EMER LNDG APPROX 7 MI SHORT OF DEST.

Narrative: I LEFT WILEY POST ARPT (PWA) WITH FULL TANKS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO TQH ON SATURDAY MORNING. I FLEW 3 ADDITIONAL SHORT VFR FLTS AROUND TQH LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. I LEFT TQH AT APPROX XA30 SUNDAY AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH MCALESTER FSS TO PWA. I HAD ATTEMPTED TO TOP OFF THE AIRPLANE WITH FUEL AT TQH BUT COULD NOT GET THE PUMP TO WORK EVEN WITH THE HELP OF 2 LCL EXPERIENCED PLTS. MY FUEL GAUGES WERE READING 3/4 FULL ON DEP. I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE TANKS AND THE LEVEL OF FUEL APPEARED TO MATCH THE GAUGES. I READ THE HOBBS METER TO BE 2.3 SINCE LEAVING PWA, THEREFORE I THOUGHT I HAD FLOWN A TOTAL OF 2.3 HRS. THE FLT BACK TO PWA WAS PLANNED TO BE 1.5 HRS. I THOUGHT I HAD 3.0 HRS FUEL ONBOARD LEAVING TQH. THE ENG QUIT APPROX 7 MI FROM PWA ON A VISUAL STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 17L. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WENT THROUGH THE CHKLIST PROCS. THE ENG RESTARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO CLB 300 FT BEFORE IT QUIT AGAIN. I CHANGED DEST TO SUNDANCE ARPT (HSD) WHICH WAS CLOSER WITH FEWER HOUSES AND OBSTRUCTIONS. I LANDED IN A WHEAT FIELD APPROX 1.5 MI ENE OF HSD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ON LNDG IN THE WHEAT FIELD, THE L TANK INDICATED 1/2 FULL AND THE R TANK INDICATED 1/4 FULL. THE HOBBS METER INDICATED I HAD FLOWN 5.2 HRS SINCE LEAVING PWA. I NOW BELIEVE I MISCALCULATED THE TIME FLOWN WHEN I READ THE HOBBS METER ON PREFLT AT TQH, HOWEVER, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATIONS CORRELATED WITH 2.3 HRS FLOWN. I WATCHED THE FUEL GAUGES IN FLT AND THEY SEEMED TO BE ADJUSTING TO THE PLANNED FUEL CONSUMPTION PER FLT TIME. THERE WERE MANY ARPTS AT WHICH TO REFUEL BTWN TQH AND PWA HAD I THOUGHT IT ADVISABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.