Sequence of Events
The pilot departed on a cross-country flight after topping off the fuel tanks. He flew at 8,500 feet with a power setting of 2,400 rpm and 22 inches of manifold pressure. The mixture was leaned by pulling it back until the engine ran rough, then increased until it ran smoothly.
During the flight, the pilot became concerned about the fuel quantity after noticing a drop in the fuel gauge. He contacted a nearby airport to inquire about fuel, but the airport manager reported that no fuel services were available, recommending an alternative airport instead.
While en route to the alternate airport, one fuel tank was exhausted approximately halfway there. The other tank ran out of fuel while the airplane was in the traffic pattern for landing. The pilot stated that he had miscalculated the headwind and turned final approach too far from the runway.
Accident Details
The airplane descended low, and the right wing contacted trees just before the airplane crashed on a golf course. The total flight time before fuel exhaustion was approximately 4 hours.
Post-Accident Inspection
A post-accident inspection revealed no evidence of fuel at the accident site or in either of the airplane's fuel tanks.