What happened
A private pilot was conducting a round-trip cross-country flight with five passengers on board. According to the passengers, they had provided payment to the pilot for the flight. The pilot estimated that the aircraft departed with approximately 64 gallons of fuel.
Two hours and twenty-five minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that the aircraft was out of fuel. In response to the engine failure, the pilot attempted an engine-out landing on Runway 33. The aircraft landed 400 feet short of the runway, where it struck a fence. The impact sheared the nose gear and caused the plane to nose over. The aircraft came to rest in an inverted position 40 yards short of the runway. The accident resulted in substantial damage to both wings, the cabin, and the fuselage.
The investigation
First responders and law enforcement officers at the scene observed that the fuel tanks were empty, and no fuel spill was detected at the site of the accident. Investigators determined there was no fuel remaining in the engine system. However, the investigation could find no evidence to explain why there was an increase in fuel usage.