Incident Overview
The pilot of a general aviation aircraft departed on the morning of the accident with an estimated 16 gallons of fuel on board. The outbound flight encountered headwinds that extended the duration slightly beyond expectations. For the afternoon return flight, the pilot diverted west of the planned route to avoid overcast conditions, further increasing flight time.
Loss of Engine Power
Approximately 7 miles west of the destination airport, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing on a snow-covered field. Despite efforts, the aircraft could not be stopped before impacting a fence, which caused substantial damage to the airplane.
Post-Accident Inspection
According to the FAA inspector who examined the scene, both fuel tanks were empty and no fuel was present in the carburetor. The absence of fuel indicates that the engine failure resulted from fuel exhaustion.
Findings
The pilot's pre-flight fuel planning did not account for the additional fuel consumption caused by headwinds on the outbound leg and the diversion during the return flight. The extended flight durations depleted the available fuel, leading to the engine failure and subsequent forced landing.