Flight History
According to the pilot's logbook, on July 10, the pilot flew the accident airplane for 1.8 hours to begin a formal checkout with a flight instructor. The checkout was completed on July 14, with the instructor, in 42 minutes and 4 landings.
Fuel Management
Refueling records indicate the accident airplane was topped off with fuel on July 13, at a Hobbs meter reading of 4,042.0 hours. At the accident site, the Hobbs meter read 4,046.6 hours, meaning the airplane had operated 4.6 hours since refueling. The Cessna Aircraft Company Information Manual states an endurance of 5.3 hours for a profile flight at 18,000 feet mean sea level (msl), 75 percent engine power at maximum takeoff weight, and proper leaning of the fuel/air mixture.
Accident Circumstances
According to flight plan information, the pilot listed an en route flight time of 3 hours 15 minutes, with 5.0 hours of fuel onboard, and an en route altitude of 20,000 feet msl. The loss of engine power occurred during approach to landing. An FAA inspector on scene reported that the fuel tanks were empty.