Flight and Initial Fuel Concerns
The aircraft departed Houston, Texas, on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight to San Diego, California. The pilot occupying the left seat stated that the original plan was to purchase fuel at Gila Bend, Arizona, but they were informed that fueling was closed. Consequently, the pilots elected to land at a private airstrip and arranged for an individual to drive to Casa Grande Airport to obtain fuel for them.
Concerned about adequate runway length at the private strip, the left-seat pilot decided to purchase only 65 gallons of fuel for the remainder of the flight to San Diego. The aircraft then continued en route.
Weather and Instrument Clearance
During the flight, the right-seat pilot obtained weather information from a Flight Service Station (FSS) for the destination and was advised of a 1,000-foot overcast ceiling. Subsequently, the right-seat pilot requested and received an instrument clearance.
Communication with Air Traffic Control
The Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) controller informed the pilot of the accident airplane that they would need to maintain speed due to jet traffic, or else they would receive delay vectors for traffic spacing. The pilot responded by stating they were fuel critical and later estimated having about 45 minutes to one hour of fuel remaining.
Approach and Missed Approach
The right-seat pilot was cleared for the localizer runway 27 approach. Approximately 18 minutes later, the pilot decided to execute a missed approach because they were too high to land. Shortly thereafter, the pilot informed San Diego radar that they were fuel critical and had only about five minutes of fuel left.
Final Descent and Landing
San Diego radar began vectoring the pilot toward the closest airport and instructed them not to descend any further. The right-seat pilot replied that they were now a glider. Later, the right-seat pilot told San Diego police that they had run out of fuel.
Postaccident Examination
During the postaccident examination of the aircraft, no discrepancies were noted with either the airframe or the engines.