What happened
On May 15, 2000, a Cessna 172 K, registration N7452G, was engaged in a private flight departing from Reims Prunay with a planned destination of Loudun and a return to the origin. After completing the outbound leg in approximately two hours, the pilot began the return flight. During this second leg, roughly two hours after departing Loudun, the pilot observed low fuel levels on the gauges.
At the time, the fuel selector was set to the 'BOTH' position. The pilot switched to the left tank until it was exhausted, then transitioned to the right tank. The pilot estimated that the remaining fuel in the right tank would provide approximately twelve minutes of flight time, which was deemed sufficient to reach the Epernay aerodrome. However, shortly after this transition, the engine began to lose power. The pilot subsequently performed an emergency landing in a field near Soulières. There were no injuries to the two occupants, and the aircraft sustained no damage during the landing.
The investigation
Following the incident, the pilot replenished the fuel supply the next day. During this process, a leak was identified at the fuel strainer bowl. Upon disassembly of the strainer bowl, investigators discovered that the tip of the strainer bowl needle valve had fractured. This mechanical failure allowed fuel to escape the system, leading to the unexpected depletion of the tanks.