Accident Narrative
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, two private pilots reported that after departure, they proceeded to several airports for landings before stopping at a fourth airport. There, they added air to the nose tire and took on 20.83 gallons of fuel. After a subsequent departure, the pilots flew the airplane south to two other airports, then turned north toward the original departure airport.
About 15 miles south of the original departure airport, the engine began to run roughly and then quit. A witness stated that he observed the airplane just north of his position, with the engine not running, heading east. The airplane made a right turn back toward his position and descended into a retention pond.
The witness ran to the pond and found that the two pilots had swum to shore. One of the pilots told the witness that they had "run out of fuel." After the airplane was recovered from the pond, the FAA inspector examined it and found no fuel in the right tank and only 4 pints of fuel in the left tank.