Incident Overview
On 3 August 2003, a Cessna 175C Skylark (registration G-ARUZ) conducted a private flight from Cardiff to Sandown on the Isle of Wight. After departing Sandown for the return leg, the pilot reported that the left fuel tank gauge began fluctuating between half and empty before settling on empty. He immediately headed towards Dunkeswell, which was nearby, but the engine stopped while the airfield was still in sight.
Forced Landing
The pilot executed a forced landing in a nearby field. The field was described by the pilot as bumpy with long grass. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed, causing damage to the aircraft. All four occupants (one pilot, three passengers) vacated the aircraft without injury.
Damage Assessment
The engineer who recovered the aircraft reported that the nose-leg separated at the firewall, a large hole was found in the fuselage underside, the lower cowling was severely damaged, the carburettor was broken off, and a hole was present in the engine sump. The propeller appeared stationary and suffered no damage.
Fuel Analysis
Before the flight from Cardiff, the pilot inspected the fuel tanks and gauges and calculated sufficient fuel for the round trip. However, after the incident, the engineer attempted to drain fuel from the aircraft but obtained only 7 litres from the entire fuel system (both wings and fuselage).
Conclusion
The pilot concluded that the aircraft ran out of fuel. The AAIB investigation noted that the aircraft had landed successfully and run a short distance before the nose-gear encountered a ridge, causing it to collapse.