Accident Details
The accident occurred during cruise flight on a dark night. The airplane was diverting to an alternate airport due to a low fuel state when it collided with a mountain.
Pilot Actions and Fuel Management
The pilot reported fueling the airplane with 48 gallons of fuel before departing Cedar City, Utah, with full tanks. He arrived at Elko, Nevada, two hours later, performed a touch-and-go landing and takeoff, and then departed for the return trip to Cedar City. His route took him over the Ely, Nevada, airport, where he noted the fuel gauges running low. He made three unsuccessful attempts to activate the runway lights to land and refuel. Unable to do so, he decided to continue the flight to his destination.
Communication and Diversion
About 90 nautical miles beyond Ely, the pilot realized the flight was taking longer than expected. One fuel gauge indicated less than 5 gallons, the other 5 gallons. He contacted Salt Lake ARTCC, reporting his low fuel situation. The controller vectored the pilot south towards an airport at Panaca, Nevada. The pilot then reported that one fuel tank had run dry. The controller informed him of a highway directly underneath, but the pilot could not identify it due to dark night conditions.
Terrain Avoidance Attempt
The controller asked if the pilot was able to climb for terrain clearance; the pilot replied negatively. The controller then instructed the pilot to turn to a heading of 180 degrees for terrain avoidance. The pilot was complying with the turn when he simultaneously saw and crashed into the mountain.
Fuel System Information
According to the airplane manufacturer, total fuel capacity is 50 gallons, of which 2 gallons (1 gallon per side) is unusable. Typical fuel burn is about 10 gallons per hour. The airplane had been airborne for about 5 hours at the time of the accident.