Accident Summary
During a night visual approach to the destination airport, a certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot experienced a total loss of engine power. The CFI executed a forced landing on a small dark area in a residential area. The CFI reported to local law enforcement that the airplane ran out of gas. Examination of the airplane revealed no usable fuel aboard, and the mixture control was in the full rich position. The CFI stated that he did not lean the mixture for the flight.
Pilot Information
The CFI had begun employment with the operator about one month prior to the accident. He had received a company checkout only in a different airplane make and model. Upon hire, he provided flight instruction in the accident airplane make and model to student pilots without receiving company training or a checkout in that specific airplane. The CFI paid the costs associated with his company training, which included airplane rental and instructor fees.
After the accident, the CFI did not know under what conditions the airplane's fuel gauges would be accurate, nor did he know the accident airplane's maximum glide speed. He also did not know how to calculate a safe flight time or to use a dipstick to accurately determine fuel level, as cited in a Federal Aviation Administration Accident Prevention Publication.
Aircraft and Flight Information
The flight was a return leg of a cross-country trip to a casino, alongside other company airplanes and instructors. The student pilot stated that during the return flight, the power setting was at a full setting at an altitude of 3,500 feet mean sea level. The airplane engine was 613.7 hours past the engine manufacturer's recommended time for a major engine overhaul of 1,800 hours.