What happened
The incident occurred during a personal cross-country flight with a measured straight-line distance of 75 nautical miles. Prior to departure, the pilot confirmed that the aircraft contained a fuel quantity of 37 gallons. Records provided by the pilot indicated that 19 gallons of fuel were purchased at the departure airport on the day of the accident.
The flight proceeded normally until approximately 50 minutes after takeoff, at which point the engine quit unexpectedly. The pilot initiated a forced landing in an area characterized by soft sand and scrub brush. During this maneuver, the aircraft nosed over. There were no reports of mechanical malfunctions identified during the examination of the powerplant.
The investigation
FAA inspectors examined the aircraft at the accident site to determine the cause of the engine failure. The inspection revealed that there was no fuel remaining in the tanks. Only a negligible amount, approximately a teaspoon full, was found in the system components forward of the firewall.
Investigators specifically looked for evidence of fuel leakage or stains on the underlying and adjacent soil or vegetation but found none. This absence of external leaks suggests that the fuel loss was not due to a structural failure of the tank or lines during the flight. The examination of the powerplant also confirmed no mechanical malfunctions were present.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was fuel exhaustion. The aircraft ran out of usable fuel for undetermined reasons during the flight. While the pilot reported confirming 37 gallons prior to departure, the purchase records and the short duration of the flight (50 minutes) suggest a discrepancy in fuel management or quantity verification. The lack of mechanical failure and external leaks points to an operational error regarding fuel planning or monitoring rather than a technical defect.