Flight Planning and Execution
The pilot planned a round-trip cross-country flight with several stops. The airplane was fueled the night prior to departure. The pilot completed five legs of the trip without incident. However, at the third airport, he did not purchase fuel, remarking about the price. Fuel was not available at the fourth airport. At the fifth airport, the pilot did not utilize the after-hours telephone number to obtain fuel.
Fuel Exhaustion and Forced Landing
While en route to the sixth airport, the pilot reported fuel exhaustion to air traffic control. Subsequently, he performed a forced landing in a wooded area.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left wing fuel tank was compromised. The right wing fuel tank remained intact and contained about 16 ounces of fuel, with some water observed in the fuel sample.
Aircraft Performance Data
Review of an owner's handbook for the make and model of the accident airplane indicated that the fuel capacity was 50 gallons. The engine consumed 10 gallons of fuel per hour at a 75-percent power setting, resulting in a 5-hour endurance.
Fueling Logs
Examination of fueling logs revealed that the airplane had flown approximately 5.07 hours tachometer time, or 5.7 Hobbs hours, since the last refueling.