What happened
During the return phase of a local sightseeing flight, the pilot initiated contact over the UNICOM frequency to report an emergency approach. The primary reason cited for this urgent communication was that the aircraft had run out of fuel. Following the incident, investigators conducted interviews with one of the non-pilot passengers on board. This passenger revealed that before the departure, there was a discussion regarding the need to refuel the aircraft. During this pre-flight conversation, the pilot explicitly stated that the current fuel load was sufficient to complete the entire trip without additional fuel stops.
The investigation
To determine the exact cause of the fuel shortage, investigators performed a physical inspection of the aircraft wreckage after it landed. The examination focused on the fuel system components to verify the actual fuel status at the time of the incident. The forensic analysis confirmed that only a negligible amount of fuel remained in the system. Specifically, inspectors found just one tablespoon of fuel left in the main fuel supply line, indicating total depletion during flight.
Findings
The discrepancy between the pilot's pre-flight assurance and the actual fuel state was the central finding. Despite the pilot's confidence that there was enough fuel for the sightseeing trip, the aircraft experienced fuel exhaustion. The presence of only a single tablespoon of fuel in the main supply line corroborates the pilot's radio report of being out of fuel. This suggests that either the initial fuel quantity was miscalculated or consumed faster than anticipated during the local operations.