Incident Overview
A pilot on a cross-country flight stopped en route to refuel. Upon arrival at the airport, fuel service was already closed for the night. The pilot then drained approximately 10 gallons of fuel from a parked Cessna airplane and transferred it into his own aircraft before departing for his destination. However, the amount of fuel obtained was slightly less than that required to reach the destination airport.
Descent and Impact
As the aircraft neared the destination, it descended over a heavily wooded area. The pilot slowed the aircraft to about 45–50 knots. Just before impact, the control yoke was pulled fully rearward and held in that position in an effort to help reduce the forces of impact. The subsequent impact occurred in the wooded terrain.
Safety Considerations
This incident highlights the importance of ensuring adequate fuel supply for the intended flight. The pilot's decision to refuel from another aircraft after airport services were unavailable led to an insufficient fuel quantity for the remainder of the journey.