What happened
The aircraft experienced a loss of power while executing a go-around maneuver. During the subsequent attempt to land at an unprepared site away from the airport, the aircraft collided with a residential structure. The private pilot succumbed to injuries the following day, and the flight instructor was seriously injured.
Prior to departure, the private pilot conducted the pre-flight inspection. A witness observed that the flight instructor arrived at the aircraft shortly after the pre-flight check was completed, and the aircraft departed a few minutes later. This was the first time the private pilot had flown this specific type of aircraft.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a large fuel spill, with only residual fuel found in the tanks. The left fuel gauge transmitter was found to indicate a higher quantity of fuel than was actually present in the tank when readings were low. According to the Hobbs meter, the aircraft had flown 6.2 hours since its last refueling. The fuel tanks are equipped with tabs to assist in determining fuel quantity.
Findings
The accident involved fuel exhaustion due to a discrepancy between the fuel gauge indication and actual fuel levels. Contributing factors included the private pilot's lack of experience with this aircraft type and the potential for misinterpretation of the low-fuel warning indicators.