Continental C-65 Accident: Fuel Exhaustion and Emergency Landing on County Road (N84580)

Aircraft and Engine Configuration The aircraft involved was a Continental C-65. The original engine had been removed, and the airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-235-C1 engine, rated at 115 horsepower at 2,600 rpm. The fuel tanks were located in each wing, with a capacity of 13 gallons each. ## Flight Sequence and Engine Issues The pilot reported filling the fuel tanks before takeoff. He made four touch-and-go landings at his private airstrip and then flew north to view aspens. On the return leg, the engine sputtered. The pilot enriched the mixture, which restored smooth operation. Shortly after, the engine sputtered again, with fuel gauges indicating between 1/4 and 1/2 full. Rocking the wings temporarily resolved the issue. After flying for 2.5 hours, the engine completely lost power. ## Emergency Landing and Damage Unable to reach his airstrip, the pilot elected to land on a county road. During the landing, the airplane struck telephone wires and a steel post alongside the road, tearing off the left wing. The pilot informed a sheriff's deputy that he had run out of fuel. ## Post-Accident Findings A salvage crew that retrieved the airplane drained 2.5 gallons of fuel from the right tank. The pilot stated that there should have been another 2.5 gallons of fuel in the left tank. The engine was later functionally tested to full power.