Incident Overview
A pilot/mechanic who had overhauled an accident airplane's engine was transporting the aircraft to his shop in another state when the engine lost power and the aircraft collided with sand dunes in Death Valley National Park. According to the pilot's written statement, the engine failure was due to fuel exhaustion.
Sequence of Events
The engine had been removed from the airplane while it was located on a highway in a remote desert area. The removal was intended to correct discrepancies that had caused the owner's pilot to make a precautionary landing. Instead of transporting the engine by ground, the mechanic chose to fly the airplane to his shop in another state.
During the flight, the pilot landed on a road to ask for directions while en route to a fuel source. Upon arriving at the fuel source, the pilot had less than one gallon of fuel remaining. His next planned fuel stop was approximately 75 miles away.
Pilot's Account
In his written statement, the pilot recalled noticing the fuel gauges reading low while flying low over sand dunes. The engine subsequently lost power. He turned on the boost pump, and the engine regained power momentarily before the aircraft collided with sand dunes. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and that he had run it out of fuel. The accident site was located about 195 miles from the departure point, on a heading approximately 90 degrees from the pilot's intended course line.