What happened
The accident occurred during a flight from Nashville, Tennessee, to Chamblee, Georgia. The aircraft had been fueled and flown for approximately 2.7 hours from Panama City, Florida, to Nashville eleven days prior to the incident. Following that earlier leg, the pilot reported maintaining the engine mixture in the rich position until the final hour of that flight.
Without refueling at Nashville, the pilot departed for Chamblee. Approximately one hour after takeoff from Nashville, both fuel tanks became empty simultaneously. The pilot confirmed this sequence of events prior to the accident.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that no fuel remained in the aircraft's tanks. This physical evidence supported the pilot's account of fuel exhaustion.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was fuel exhaustion. The pilot failed to ensure adequate fuel reserves for the flight from Nashville to Chamblee, particularly after a long prior leg. The decision to depart without refueling contributed directly to the loss of engine power.