What happened
A pilot and an instructor-rated passenger were conducting an IFR flight from Long Beach, California, to Placerville, California. The planned route covered approximately 340 nautical miles, with an estimated round-trip flying time of about 4 hours and 20 minutes. The aircraft carried an estimated five hours of fuel.
While the aircraft was turning on the base leg just before landing, the engine lost power. The crew attempted a forced landing, but during the maneuver, the aircraft collided with a light standard and a utility pole. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the fuel system and found that approximately 2.5 gallons of fuel remained in an auxiliary tank. While the fuel system was compromised during the accident, causing some fuel to spill from other tanks, the usable fuel capacity across the four tanks was 86 gallons when properly filled. Based on a handbook-estimated consumption rate of 12.7 to 14.1 gallons per hour, the pilot had estimated that 40 to 45 gallons of fuel remained for the return portion of the flight.
It was noted that neither pilot specified whether they used gauges or timing to manage the switching between the four fuel tanks. Additionally, a placard on the instrument panel provided a warning that uncoordinated maneuvers, such as long side slips or fast taxi turns prior to takeoff, could cause a loss of power, particularly if a fuel tank was less than half full.