Flight Details
A pilot and a pilot-rated passenger rented an airplane for a personal cross-country flight intended to build flight time. The planned trip comprised a 261-nautical-mile (nm) leg, a refueling stop, and a subsequent 271-nm leg. After completing the first leg, the airplane was refueled with 25 gallons of aviation fuel.
Engine Power Loss
During the second leg, as the airplane reached a position approximately 10 nm from the destination airport, the engine lost power. The pilot managed to restart the engine, which ran for a few minutes before losing power again.
Approach and Landing
The pilot was unfamiliar with the area and did not sight the destination airport until the airplane was directly overhead. Realizing the airplane was too high, he added full flaps and began side-slipping to lose excessive altitude. Initially, the pilot maneuvered for a landing on runway 06; however, he remained too high and executed a 180-degree turn to land on runway 24. The airplane touched down near the end of the runway, overran the runway surface, and encountered an embankment.
Damage and Examination
The right wing sustained structural damage. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel examined the airplane and reported that the fuel tanks were intact. The left wing fuel tank was dry, and the right wing fuel tank contained about 0.5 gallons of fuel. The airplane's total fuel capacity was 26 gallons, with 24.5 gallons of usable fuel.