Incident Overview
On the day of the incident, the aircraft departed at 0950 hours with an estimated 55 to 60 gallons of fuel on board. The flight proceeded uneventfully until approximately 1219 hours, while cruising at 6,500 feet, when a total loss of engine power occurred.
Forced Landing Attempt
The pilot initiated a forced landing, aiming for runway 28 at Modesta City Airport. However, the aircraft could not be flown to the airport and touched down hard roughly 300 feet short of the runway.
Post-Incident Examination
An examination of the aircraft revealed fuel stains trailing from the fuel caps to the trailing edges of both wings. The fuel caps were found not to be seating properly, which allowed fuel to siphon out during flight. This fuel loss is consistent with the total power loss experienced.
Findings
The investigation determined that the improper seating of the fuel caps led to fuel siphoning and subsequent fuel exhaustion, resulting in the total loss of engine power.