Incident Overview
During a cross-country flight, the aircraft experienced fuel exhaustion. The subsequent forced landing occurred in a river bed, during which the aircraft collided with ground obstructions.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that 4 hours and 20 minutes of engine run time had elapsed since the last fueling of the aircraft. At that last fueling, the pilot ordered the aircraft to be "topped" but did not visually check the fuel level prior to departure. At the time of the engine power loss, both fuel gauges indicated one-quarter of a tank each.
Fuel System Findings
Subsequent testing of the fuel quantity measuring system revealed that the left system was incorrectly calibrated. When the transmitter was in the empty position, the gauge indicated one needle width below the one-quarter indices.