What happened
During a cross-country flight, the pilot of a Cessna 172 was cruising at 8,500 feet with a power setting of 2,400 rpm and 22 inches of manifold pressure. The pilot utilized a leaning technique by pulling the mixture back until the engine ran rough and then increasing it until smooth operation resumed. During the flight, the pilot observed a drop in the fuel gauge, leading to concerns regarding remaining fuel reserves.
The pilot contacted a nearby airport to inquire about fuel availability; however, the airport manager reported that no fuel services were available and recommended an alternate airport. While en route to this alternate location, one fuel tank became empty. As the pilot entered the traffic pattern for landing, the second fuel tank also reached fuel exhaustion.
Due to a miscalculation of the headwind, the pilot turned from final approach too far from the runway. The aircraft descended too low, causing the right wing to contact trees before the plane crashed on a golf course.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection of the aircraft was conducted. Investigators found no evidence of fuel remaining at the accident site or within either of the aircraft's fuel tanks.