Preflight Fuel Assessment
During the preflight inspection, the pilot used a stick-type fuel gauge to determine fuel quantities. The right fuel tank was found to contain 7 gallons, while the left fuel tank was full.
Flight Profile
The pilot had flown this route previously. On the accident flight, however, he climbed to 8,500 feet, an altitude he had never reached on prior trips. After climbing, he descended incrementally until nearing the destination airport.
Engine Failure
During the final descent, after 2 hours and 44 minutes of flight, the engine stopped. Attempts to restart it were unsuccessful.
Forced Landing
Confronted with the terrain, the pilot executed a forced landing into trees.
Fuel Planning
Based on his experience on previous flights, the pilot planned for an average fuel consumption of 6 gallons per hour and a total flight time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The fuel gauge he used to assess the pre-takeoff fuel load was calibrated for a different model of airplane that had the same size fuel tank but a greater amount of usable fuel than the accident airplane.