Incident Overview
During cruise flight, the engine lost power, and the airplane was destroyed during the subsequent forced landing. Investigators examined the airframe and engine and found no fuel in either wing tank, the fuel feed line to the engine, or the fuel filter bowl. No other pre-accident malfunctions or abnormalities were discovered in the airframe or engine.
Pilot Actions
During his preflight inspection, the pilot reported that the cockpit fuel gauges did not agree with the amount of fuel he observed when visually checking the fuel tanks for quantity. However, he did not perform a dip check of the tanks to verify the actual fuel onboard.
Fuel Records
Available aircraft and fueling records indicated that at the time of the accident, the aircraft had been flown for 5.3 hours since its last refueling, with four takeoffs and landings accomplished. The pilot's handbook for the aircraft specifies a maximum endurance of 5.5 hours with one takeoff and landing included.