Incident Details
Two pilots departed without visually verifying the quantity of fuel in the fuel tanks. During climbout, the right fuel quantity indicator was all the way on 'E', while the left read three-quarters. The pilot selected the right tank position on the fuel selector and flew for 50 minutes. He stated that this satisfied his suspicion that the right fuel gauge was inaccurate. Subsequently, he flew from the left tank to balance the fuel load and ultimately switched the selector to 'Both.'
While in cruise flight at 9,000 feet, after approximately 2 hours of total flight time, the engine stopped producing power. The pilots conducted a forced landing on uneven terrain, during which the airplane nosed over.
Post-Accident Examination
There was no evidence of fuel at the scene. After the accident, an FAA Inspector started and ran the engine on the airframe. After reviewing his records and fuel receipts, the co-pilot/owner stated that the airplane operated to its fuel endurance.