Incident Overview
According to the pilot, the engine lost power about 15 minutes before reaching the destination airport during descent. The pilot switched fuel tanks, and engine power was momentarily restored, but the engine stopped producing power even though the pilot thought it "was still running all the way to impact." The pilot conducted a forced landing on a highway at night. During the landing, the right wing struck an object and separated from the airplane. The airplane came to rest inverted.
Postaccident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector (ASI) performed a postaccident examination of the airplane. The inspector found the fuel lines to the fuel manifold were dry, and the fuel manifold valves were dry. The fuel strainer, the diaphragm, and the fuel filter in the fuel manifold were unremarkable. Fuel was found in the gascolator. The FAA ASI reported that, during an interview with the pilot, "the pilot changed his story from fuel exhaustion, to fuel contamination." The inspector reported that there were no signs of fuel contamination during the examination of the fuel system.
Fuel Request Details
According to the fixed-base operator (FBO) at the departure airport, the pilot initially requested 20 gallons of fuel. He then canceled his fuel request and walked out of the FBO.
Probable Cause
The probable cause is that the pilot's improper fuel planning resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent total loss of engine power.