Departure Planning
The pilot originally intended to depart earlier and stop en route for additional fuel. After receiving a weather briefing, he delayed his departure until late evening due to the possibility of thunderstorms at his destination airport around the time of arrival. Prior to departure that evening, the fuel tanks were filled to capacity.
The Flight
During the flight, the pilot did not stop for fuel as previously planned. Approximately 64 miles from the destination, he noticed that the fuel gauges indicated less fuel than anticipated. Upon arrival, he flew an instrument approach and advised air traffic control that he was fuel critical, citing an exceeded estimated flight time, low fuel gauge readings, and other aircraft landing. Due to visibility, he was unable to see the runway and executed a missed approach. Air traffic control instructed him to climb to 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl).
Emergency and Descent
During the climb, the engine lost power and the airplane began to descend. The pilot performed the engine restart procedure and successfully restarted the engine. He began climbing back to 2,000 feet msl, but the engine lost power again. The airplane descended once more, and this time the pilot could not restart the engine. The airplane struck trees and came to rest after falling approximately 20 feet to the ground. Total flight duration was 4 hours and 43 minutes.
Post-Accident Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and found substantial damage to the firewall and left wing. Both fuel tanks were empty. There was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction of the airplane or engine. Correlation of radar and weather data revealed that the pilot encountered headwinds for the majority of the flight. The airplane was not equipped with wheel fairings, which, according to the manufacturer, would have reduced its range by up to 7 percent. When asked by a state trooper, the pilot stated that he had run out of fuel.