What happened
The flight began with the pilot departing the origin airport carrying approximately two hours of usable fuel on board the airplane. During the cruise portion of the trip, the aircraft proceeded toward its intended destination. Approximately 2.3 hours into the flight, while the aircraft was still about seven miles from the destination airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power.
With no thrust available to maintain altitude or glide distance, the pilot was forced to execute an emergency landing on a nearby highway. The airplane sustained damage consistent with a hard landing on a paved surface.
The investigation
Upon arrival at the crash site, investigators examined the aircraft and its fuel systems. A thorough inspection of the fuel tanks revealed that no fuel remained in either tank. This finding confirmed that the engine had been starved of fuel prior to impact.
To determine if a mechanical failure contributed to the event, the engine was removed and subjected to a run test on the ground. The engine run revealed no discrepancies or mechanical faults that would explain a sudden power loss under normal operating conditions. The absence of fuel in the tanks, combined with the functional state of the engine, pointed directly to fuel exhaustion as the sole cause of the power loss.
Findings
The primary factor leading to this accident was fuel exhaustion. The pilot failed to ensure that sufficient fuel was available for the entire flight, including reserves. The decision to land on a highway was necessitated by the complete depletion of the fuel supply during the final approach phase.