Incident Overview
A pilot refueled the aircraft, completed three touch-and-go landings, and subsequently departed on a cross-country flight. After approximately 1.5 hours of flight, the pilot decided to reverse course and land at an alternate airport because he had insufficient fuel to reach his intended destination. Realizing that the fuel supply was also inadequate to reach the alternate, he elected to make a precautionary landing on a private airstrip.
Collision with Obstacle
During the landing on the private airstrip, the aircraft collided with a steel cable supported by a drum. The cable was one of several strung across the runway to prevent unauthorized use.
Fuel Management Findings
The Hobbs meter indicated that the aircraft had been flown for 4.5 hours since refueling. The pilot stated that he did not perform fuel consumption calculations. After the incident, the left and right fuel tanks were drained and found to contain 1.8 and 2.6 gallons of fuel, respectively. The unusable fuel for each tank was 1 gallon.