What happened
The aircraft experienced a catastrophic loss of power approximately ten minutes after departing on the return portion of a cross-country flight. During the post-crash investigation, investigators determined that the engine failure was directly caused by fuel exhaustion. The pilot later admitted that he did not perform a visual inspection of the fuel tanks prior to takeoff. He cited the lack of a step ladder as the reason for skipping this check. Instead, he relied on the fuel gauges, which indicated that approximately 50 gallons of fuel remained in the tanks.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the flight and the pilot's pre-flight actions. They noted that the pilot chose not to visually verify the fuel quantity due to equipment limitations at the departure airport. The reliance on instrument readings without physical confirmation proved fatal when the actual fuel supply was insufficient for the flight.
Findings
The primary contributing factor was the pilot's decision to trust the fuel gauges over a visual check. This oversight led to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent crash. The absence of a step ladder prevented the pilot from performing the required visual inspection, highlighting a critical gap in pre-flight safety procedures.