Incident Overview
During a cross-country flight from California to New Mexico, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power while flying over mountainous terrain. The aircraft had been airborne for approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes and was 35 miles from its destination when the power loss occurred.
Fuel Status
Before departing California, the airplane had 48 gallons of fuel onboard. A review of the performance charts indicated that the airplane had reached its endurance limits at the time of the power loss.
Post-Recovery Inspection
After the airplane was recovered, fuel was added to the aircraft prior to a planned engine run. The engine was subsequently run and achieved normal operations through all RPM ranges, indicating no mechanical issues were present.