Accident Overview
During a solo cross-country instructional flight, a student pilot reported to air traffic control that he was lost and low on fuel. The pilot stated that the left fuel gauge indicated FULL and the right fuel gauge indicated EMPTY. Controllers provided suggested headings to the nearest airport. The student located the airport and entered the traffic pattern for runway 17.
Flight and Landing Sequence
During the landing roll on runway 17, the airplane bounced, exited the runway onto grass, and the student performed a go-around. Subsequently, the student landed on runway 35 in the opposite direction. Witnesses observed the airplane remain on the runway with elevators up, flaps retracted, and propeller turning. The airplane then rolled off the runway end at an estimated speed of 30 mph. Witnesses reported no indication of braking or added power. The airplane struck a vehicle traveling east at 60 mph on an interstate highway north of the airport. Winds at the time were from the south at 20 knots. Total flight time was 2.3 hours.
Fuel System Examination
Examination of the airplane's fuel system and maintenance records revealed that the original left fuel tank transmitter (Stewart Warner) had been replaced in October 1999 with a new transmitter (Rochester). The applicable Service Bulletin/Service Kit (SB/SK) required that installation of a Rochester transmitter be accompanied by installation of a Rochester gauge. Neither the SB nor SK had been complied with on the accident airplane. The Rochester gauge assembly requires an aluminum back plate; however, both fuel gauges in the airplane were Stewart Warner with a steel back plate.
According to a manufacturer representative, with the Rochester transmitter installed with the Stewart Warner fuel gauge, the gauge indication would increase as the fuel level in the tank decreased. Physical evidence of fuel leakage from the left tank was found at the tank, the tank fitting, and the inboard wing. No evidence of any in-flight mechanical or flight control malfunction that would have made the airplane uncontrollable before impact was found.