Incident Overview
During a cross-country flight, the pilot requested a lineman at Lamar, Colorado, to fill both fuel tanks to one inch below the top of the tank. However, the pilot did not perform a visual dip check of the tanks and instead based subsequent fuel calculations on an assumed amount of fuel already in the airplane.
Flight Details
The flight departed Lamar with Peoria, Illinois, as the intended destination. En route, the engine experienced a total loss of power, forcing the pilot to make a landing near Burlington, Iowa. The aircraft came to rest approximately 60 miles short of its planned destination.
Fuel Examination
After the landing, an examination of the fuel tanks revealed no fuel in the right tank. Only three ounces of fuel were recovered from the left tank. The lack of fuel was consistent with the total power loss.