Overview
On a dark night, a pilot conducted a forced landing onto the westbound lanes of Interstate 20. During the landing, the airplane's right wing collided with a guardrail. The pilot had been attempting to return to Arlington, Texas, from Shreveport, Louisiana, after having flown the aircraft to Shreveport the previous day.
Sequence of Events
The pilot flew from Arlington to Shreveport the day before the accident. The aircraft was not refueled while in Shreveport. The following early morning, the pilot departed Shreveport for Arlington. During the return flight, the pilot became disoriented and could not reorient himself. Fort Worth Flight Service Station, in coordination with DFW Approach, provided radar vectors to Arlington. While at 2,000 feet msl over Joe Pool Lake, the engine lost power, and the pilot was unable to restart it.
The pilot was forced to land on Interstate 20. Due to a vehicle occupying the passing lane, the pilot chose the outside lanes for the landing. During touchdown, the right wing struck the guardrail adjacent to the highway.
Investigation Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the aircraft's fuel system. The inspection revealed that the fuel system had not been compromised, but no usable fuel was found in either fuel tank. The Hobbs meter recorded 4.1 hours of operation since the pilot had rented the aircraft. The pilot later reported to a law enforcement officer that he became low on fuel and attempted an emergency landing.
No other factors were identified in the source material. The accident occurred during dark night conditions, and no information was provided regarding injuries or damage beyond the wing-to-guardrail contact.