Incident Overview
An airplane was conducting a cross-country flight when its engine ceased to run after 4 hours and 30 minutes of operation. The airplane subsequently descended from altitude and executed a forced landing into a field. During the landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Inspection Findings
Post-accident inspection of the airplane's fuel tanks, which were not damaged, revealed both tanks to be completely empty. Examination of the fuel tank filler caps found that the gaskets were moderately deteriorated. When the wing tanks contained fuel and were inverted, these gaskets leaked small amounts of fuel.
Fuel Endurance Data
The airplane's hourly range, for the altitude at which it was flown, would have been between 7.2 and 6.3 hours, depending on whether the fuel tanks were filled to the top or up to the bottom of the fuel tank filler neck.