Accident Narrative
The accident occurred during a forced landing following a loss of engine power in the takeoff initial climb. The pilot had flown into the airport the previous evening and ordered fuel from the fixed-base operator (FBO). He stated that upon arriving for the return flight, he did not preflight the fuel tanks to verify their quantity. A run-up performed before takeoff indicated normal conditions.
Departing from runway 13L, the pilot observed a lower than optimum fuel flow. At approximately 250 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. He notified the tower and initiated a turn back toward the airport, establishing a glide at 97 miles per hour (mph). When it became evident that the airplane could not reach either runway, he chose to set down on a broken asphalt tarmac located between the runways. He lowered the flaps but did not extend the landing gear.
The pilot described the descent as steep, and he flared too soon. The airplane stalled about 30 feet agl and struck the ground hard. It then skidded approximately 200 feet before stopping. The pilot reported that the loss of power was due to fuel exhaustion. He additionally noted that the power-off glide angle was uncomfortably steep, making it difficult to judge the appropriate flare point, and recommended that these characteristics be emphasized in emergency training.