Incident Overview
During a flight, the pilot notified air traffic control of a loss of engine power at 2,500 feet mean sea level, stating that the aircraft was "running out of fuel." The pilot subsequently attempted a forced landing in a field, but the aircraft struck trees short of the landing area.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel tanks were empty. The last recorded refueling of the aircraft occurred on July 20, 1995, when 31.9 gallons of fuel were added. Between that refueling and the accident, the aircraft had flown for 5 hours and 36 minutes.
Aircraft Specifications
The model of aircraft involved has a total fuel capacity of 51 gallons. According to performance data, at a 72% power setting, the aircraft has a range of 5 hours and 5 minutes. At the same power setting at 2,000 feet, the fuel consumption rate is 10.6 gallons per hour.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the engine power loss was a direct result of fuel exhaustion, as no fuel was found in the tanks after the accident.