What happened
As the aircraft approached its destination, pilot-rated passengers noted that the airplane was low on fuel. Although the occupants discussed making an intermediate stop for refueling, they ultimately decided they had enough fuel to complete the flight to their destination.
While in cruise flight, approximately 80 miles from the destination airport, the engine lost power. The instructor pilot attempted to remedy the situation by switching from the right fuel tank to the left tank, which briefly resulted in an engine restart. However, several minutes later, the engine lost power a second time. After unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, the pilot turned the aircraft toward the nearest airport.
During the approach, the passengers reported it was a dark night. The aircraft impacted trees approximately 1 1/2 miles short of the landing runway after the pilot maneuvered to avoid an area containing residential lights.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed no evidence of useable fuel.