Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 36.2; Flight Crew Total 4177.5; Flight Crew Type 109
Workload; Troubleshooting; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Distraction; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown
Human Factors; Manuals; Aircraft
Departed ZZZ VFR. Our destination airport was ZZZ1. Standard FAA Telephone Weather Briefing was conducted by co-pilot. That information [was] High Pressure; No Significant Weather; Winds Aloft at planned Altitude - 7 knots. NOTAMS/TFRs Checked. Flight Planned distance was 440 miles. Altitude was 6;500 feet. Engine was Leaned as per Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). Aircraft Fuel Gauges were Operational. At 15 miles from ZZZ1 the Engine began to Sputter. I positioned the Mixture Control to Full Rich; Turned On Aux pump (A) and switched fuel tanks. The Engine Came Back Alive.3 Minutes Later; the engine began to sputter again. I switched to AUX Pump 2. The engine came back alive momentarily; then quit. At this point; I was descending at L/D Max Whilst Looking for a suitable landing site. A country highway was selected; and used. The off airport landing was uneventful.  No Injuries or damage to equipment or property occurred.I telephoned the FAA right-away; and advised them of the situation. After FAA Approval; we put fuel in airplane; [officials] blocked [the] road; and I took off (solo) Flying the airplane to ZZZ1. At ZZZ1 an FAA Field Inspector met me; and I gave him a written statement of the events. The airplane has 'Engine Blow-BY'. The oil turns black in 15 hours of operation. The manual (1979 Aircraft X) 'Book Performance Values' are not accurate. The Engine was Consuming 11.1 Gallons per hour; that should not be. I should have stopped for fuel sooner! Do not believe older owner airplane manuals/POHs. If fuel guages read low to empty - believe them!!
Pilot of a small aircraft reported an uneventful landing off airport due to running out of fuel. The reporter stated the aircraft had 'engine blow by' and the fuel consumption rate in the manual is not correct.