Incident Overview
An aircraft experienced an engine failure during a cross-country flight, resulting in a forced landing off airport. The weather was reported as visual meteorological conditions (VMC), and no flight plan had been filed. The aircraft came to rest approximately 900 feet short of the runway at its intended fuel stop in Gage, Oklahoma.
Flight Details
The flight originated in Los Angeles, California, with a planned destination of Bolivar, Missouri. The pilot intended to refuel at Gage, Oklahoma. According to available data, the aircraft had been airborne for about 5 hours and 24 minutes, which would indicate a fuel consumption of approximately 138 gallons. The aircraft's fuel capacity is 142 gallons, with 136 gallons considered usable.
Post-Crash Investigation
Following the accident, the airport manager conducted a preliminary inspection and found an undetermined amount of fuel in the tanks. A representative from Continental examined the aircraft and reported no fuel in the spider valve and no drainable fuel in any of the fuel lines. The airport manager also visually checked the cockpit fuel gauges, which indicated the left tank was empty and the right tank showed 1/8 full.