What happened
The flight was approaching the end of a four-and-a-half-hour cross-country journey when both engines ceased operation. The aircraft was approximately seven miles from its intended destination at the time of the engine failure. A forced landing was subsequently executed to bring the aircraft to the ground safely.
Prior to the incident, the pilot reported that the aircraft departed with a full fuel load totaling 182 gallons. An owner of the aircraft provided data indicating that fuel consumption averaged approximately 44 gallons per hour. Based on this average rate and the duration of the flight, the aircraft would have consumed roughly 185 gallons, exceeding the initial fuel load.
The investigation
Post-accident interviews revealed potential contributing factors related to pilot perception. The pilot acknowledged that he had recently been operating a different Piper PA-31 equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks, which provided a greater total fuel capacity. He suggested that he may have subconsciously assumed the current aircraft possessed this increased capacity, leading to an inaccurate assessment of available fuel.
Findings
The primary factor in this event was fuel exhaustion. The discrepancy between the actual fuel load and the estimated consumption rate, combined with a possible misjudgment of the aircraft's fuel system configuration, resulted in the loss of power. No injuries were reported during the incident.