What happened
While inbound to land at Wendover Airport, the pilot was notified that the airport was temporarily closed because of equipment positioned on the runway. At the time of this notification, the pilot noted that the fuel tank indicated between 6 and 8 gallons of fuel remaining.
The pilot entered a holding pattern, circling the airport for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. During this period, the fuel gauge reached zero. The pilot then notified the airport that an immediate landing was necessary; in response, airport personnel agreed to remove the equipment from the runway.
As the aircraft was turning onto final approach for landing, the engine quit. This resulted in the aircraft performing a hard landing short of the runway. There were no injuries reported in the accident.
The investigation
Following the accident, several examinations of the engine were conducted. During the first examination, 3 gallons of fuel were added to the tank, and no leaks were detected. A second test involved filling the fuel tank with water, which also revealed no leaks. In a third examination, the tank was filled with 4 gallons of fuel, and a subsequent engine test run showed no discrepancies in operation.