What happened
Approximately four to five minutes after takeoff, the engine failed while the aircraft was in flight. The pilot initiated an attempt to return to the departure airport. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck a fence.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the fuel system revealed significant discrepancies between the gauge readings and the actual fuel quantity remaining in the tanks. The right fuel tank gauge indicated that 30 gallons remained; however, the tank was found to be completely empty upon inspection. Similarly, the left fuel tank gauge showed a reading of 10 gallons, but physical measurement determined that only an estimated 4 gallons were actually present.
Findings
The investigation determined that the fuel selector switch was positioned on the right tank at the time of the incident. This setting, combined with the inaccurate gauge readings, contributed to the engine failure due to fuel exhaustion.