Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a flight from Bull Frog Basin Airport, Utah, to Winslow, Arizona, the airplane experienced fuel exhaustion and landed in the desert. The pilot stated that the aircraft departed with 14 gallons of fuel on board. The planned flight time was 1 hour 40 minutes, with an expected fuel consumption of 5.3 gallons per hour.
Flight Details
While en route, the pilot noticed that fuel was being consumed more quickly than anticipated and assumed a headwind was present. After 1 hour 40 minutes (1.7 hours) of flight, the airplane ran out of fuel while still 57 statute miles north of Winslow. The straight-line distance between Bull Frog Basin Airport and Winslow is 170 statute miles.
Weather Conditions
At 1700, winds aloft reported at Flagstaff indicated from 225 degrees at 21 knots at 8,000 feet mean sea level, and from 230 degrees at 29 knots at 10,000 feet mean sea level.
Fuel Consumption Calculation
Based on the reported fuel consumption rate of 5.3 gallons per hour, a 1.7-hour flight would have consumed approximately 9 gallons of fuel.