Incident Overview
During a flight, the pilot/owner asked the certificated airline transport pilot (ATP) to take over the controls while the pilot/owner attempted an unsuccessful engine restart. The ATP subsequently executed a forced landing to uneven terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Post-Accident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane had no fuel onboard. The pilot/owner had ordered and paid for 40 gallons of fuel at the last refueling stop, approximately 45 nautical miles before the accident.
Refueling Details
At the refueling stop, the pilot/owner asked a passenger to show the refueler the location of the fuel caps. The refueler had experience only with pumping jet fuel to single point aircraft. Per the refueler's request, the passenger advised him when 40 gallons had been pumped. The refueling took place in a dark area, and the fuel truck meter light was inoperative. The passenger misread the meter, and instead of receiving 40 gallons, the airplane received only 4 gallons.
Error Discovery
Another FBO employee noticed the mistake after the airplane had departed but was unable to contact the pilot/owner.
Fuel Gauge Condition
The airplane's fuel gauges were inoperative and indicated half full even when empty. Neither pilot visually confirmed the amount of fuel onboard prior to takeoff.
Conclusion
The forced landing occurred due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from a refueling error, inoperative fuel gauges, and a lack of visual fuel confirmation by the flight crew.