Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 4; Flight Crew Total 166; Flight Crew Type 17
Troubleshooting; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Human Factors
With this aircraft I'm unable to 'dip' the tanks to get a reliable measurement of fuel onboard. I have to use the fuel gauges. Fuel assessment before flight: Left tank indicated 1/2 full; right tank indicated 5/8 full. While in flight I noticed fuel was being depleted faster than I expected and decided to return to ZZZ. Right Traffic XXR. After touchdown the aircraft started to porpoise so I went around. This happened twice. On the third attempt I was on right base to final and ATC instructed me to re-join the right downwind then (if I remember correctly) gave me a landing clearance for XXR.While turning to final; the engine quits; [priority landing] procedures ensue; [requested priority handling] with ATC; landed safely in the desert East of ZZZ. What I think happened [was] fuel starvation. I incorrectly thought I had [approximately] 2.7 hours of fuel on board based on the fuel gauges. What I've learned [is that there should be] a digital fuel management system installed.
M-20 Pilot reported fuel starvation caused engine failure and resulted in an air turn back and off airport landing.