What happened
The pilot of the aircraft had refueled prior to departing from Sarasota. Although the pilot questioned the line person responsible for the refueling, he did not visually verify the fuel quantity before departure. The pilot noted that because the aircraft's fuel quantity gauges were inaccurate, he relied on elapsed time to monitor fuel levels.
While approaching Charlotte, NC, from the south, the pilot contacted approach control and initially indicated an intention to land at Rock Hill, SC. Following a period of consideration, the pilot changed the destination to Charlotte, which was approximately 14 miles away.
While being radar vectored for a landing on runway 18L at Charlotte, the engine lost power. The pilot radioed that the aircraft had run out of fuel and stated he was searching for a place to land. The aircraft touched down on a small lake, became airborne again, and subsequently collided with trees located at the edge of the lake. No evidence of fuel was recovered from the site.