What happened
During a night cross-country operation, the aircraft encountered a complete power failure, forcing the pilot to execute an emergency landing. Following the incident, the pilot in command (PIC) acknowledged significant oversights during the pre-flight planning phase. Specifically, he failed to visually inspect the fuel supply prior to departure and did not account for winds aloft, which were reported as quartering headwinds of 25 knots.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed minimal fuel remaining in the tanks. Crucially, the examination found no evidence of mechanical component failure that could have contributed to the power loss.
Findings
The primary factors leading to the incident were the pilot's failure to verify fuel levels and his disregard for wind conditions during planning. The lack of visual fuel confirmation before departure left the aircraft with insufficient reserves for the planned route, exacerbated by the quartering headwinds that increased fuel consumption.