Event Summary
A commercial pilot closed his flight plan, stating that the airport was in sight. The pilot of a departing airplane told investigators that the accident pilot transmitted he was "five miles out for landing," followed by "I'm three miles out, just ran out of fuel at 1,000 feet, and am going to try to land on a road or the closed airstrip." The accident pilot reported he was unable to reach the closed airstrip, it was dark, and the airplane landed in the trees.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated he believed he departed with a full fuel load of 39 gallons (38 gallons usable). However, he did not visually confirm that the tanks were topped off after a lineman from a Fixed Base Operator filled the tanks. He reported that the flight duration was 4 hours 37 minutes.
Fuel Consumption Data
Cruise performance charts for a Cessna 172 equipped with an O-300 engine predict fuel consumption at 2,400 rpm between 8.1 and 9.2 gallons per hour.