Incident Overview
A pilot was engaged by an aircraft owner to fly the aircraft from a maintenance facility to its home base. The owner, who was not a pilot, conducted the preflight while the pilot observed. The pilot assumed the owner was a pilot who was not current. During the preflight, the pilot verbally confirmed the adequacy of fuel for the flight with the owner.
Preflight and Fuel Estimation
The owner estimated that the fuel tanks were half full based on fuel gauge readings, visual inspection, and dip stick indications. However, after the flight encountered a problem necessitating a forced landing, the aircraft was found to have no evidence of fuel on board. The fuel quantity at departure was later estimated to be approximately 10 gallons, far less than the owner's estimate of half tanks.
Forced Landing
The aircraft experienced a forced landing. Post-accident examination revealed no fuel in the aircraft. The discrepancy between the owner's estimate and the actual fuel quantity suggests that the aircraft departed with insufficient fuel for the intended flight.