Pilot misjudges fuel load for cross-country flight leading to forced landing (N471FT)

What happened

The pilot reported that he had not refueled the airplane prior to the final leg of a cross-country flight. He admitted to misjudging the amount of fuel required to reach his destination. While en route, the aircraft experienced a power loss caused by fuel exhaustion. The pilot then initiated a forced landing at night. During this attempt, the airplane collided with wires and trees before striking the ground.

The investigation

The investigation focused on the operational decisions made prior to and during the flight. It was determined that the lack of refueling contributed directly to the in-flight power loss.

Findings

Contributing factors included the pilot's failure to refuel and his inaccurate assessment of fuel needs for the remaining distance. The decision to continue the flight without adequate reserves led to the emergency situation.