What happened
The pilot landed in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, on the evening of August 28, 1983, while thunderstorms were reported in the area. Fuel was available at that location only during daylight hours. The following morning at 0203, the pilot contacted the Muscle Shoals Flight Service Station to obtain a weather briefing and filed an instrument flight rules flight plan. He departed Lawrenceburg approximately ten minutes later, around 0250.
Upon arrival near the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, air traffic control advised that conditions were poor: the sky was partially obscured with visibility reduced to one-eighth of a mile due to fog and haze, winds were calm, and the outer marker locator was out of service. The pilot initiated an instrument landing system approach but executed a missed approach.
He then attempted to divert to Weiss Airport, located approximately 12 miles away. However, the engine began losing power due to low fuel. Vectors were provided to return to the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, where the pilot attempted another landing. The engine subsequently quit running, and the aircraft impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude with the right wing low. No fuel was found in the wing tanks or engine fuel lines. The pilot had been due for work at 0600, and his transportation was located at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport.