Fuel Exhaustion During Instrument Flight (N210PQ)

Flight Departure and Fuel Estimate The pilot departed on an instrument flight, reporting an estimated 26 gallons of fuel on board, which corresponded to approximately 1.6 hours of flying time. The destination airport was estimated to be 1 hour and 35 minutes away. ## Engine Failure and Emergency Landing Approximately 14 minutes into the flight, at 11,000 feet, the pilot requested to land at a closer airport for fuel. About 2.5 miles from the alternate airport, the engine failed. The pilot attempted a gear-down landing in a snow-covered field. ## Impact and Investigation Findings On final approach, the airplane struck a tree and impacted the ground. Computations based on documents provided by the pilot, including his anticipatory fuel log, indicated that the pilot actually departed with an estimated 13.5 gallons of fuel. At the pilot's estimated fuel burn rate of 17 gallons per hour, this provided approximately 48 minutes of fuel at takeoff. Fuel exhaustion occurred approximately 50 minutes into the flight.