Incident Summary
An airplane sustained a total loss of power in flight, prompting the pilot to execute a landing on a highway. The landing was initially successful, but during the landing rollout, the pilot performed an evasive maneuver to avoid colliding with a truck. Subsequently, the airplane collided with a fence.
Post-Accident Actions
The pilot dismantled and removed the airplane from the accident site before notifying the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pilot claimed that the left wing fuel cap broke at some point during the flight, but he failed to provide the safety board with the broken cap or any photographic evidence. The pilot's actions indicated an attempt to mitigate the accident by purposely removing and dismantling the wreckage.
Investigation Findings
The safety board concluded that the airplane had sustained fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's poor preflight planning and preparation, as well as his miscalculations of the airplane's fuel consumption.