On October 3, 1984, a Piper J3C-65 (registration N38685) was involved in an aviation accident near Milledgeville, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Total power loss due to fuel exhaustion. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot unable to find his destination due to fog landed elsewhere, but found no avgas. Returning, he suffered total power loss from fuel exhaustion 7 miles short, forcing a landing in a plowed field where the nose gear sank and the aircraft nosed over.
Incident Overview
A pilot departed for his intended destination but was unable to locate the airport due to fog. He landed at a nearby airport, only to discover that no avgas was available. Deciding to return to his original destination, he experienced a total power loss approximately 7 miles short of the airport due to fuel exhaustion.
Forced Landing
The pilot executed a forced landing in a plowed field. During the landing roll, the nose gear wheel sank into soft soil, causing the aircraft to nose over.
Timing and Fuel Estimate
The elapsed time from the initial takeoff until the accident occurred was 45 minutes. The pilot estimated that at the time of initial takeoff, he had 72 minutes of fuel remaining.