What happened
A flight consisting of several legs—originating in Monongahela, traveling to Pittsburgh and Teterboro, NJ, and returning through Pittsburgh back to Monongahela—ended in an emergency. During the initial departure from Monongahela, the aircraft carried 100 gallons of fuel. At the Pittsburgh stop, 160 gallons were added to the tanks, and an additional 80 gallons were loaded at Teterboro.
On the return leg of the journey, the aircraft did not receive additional fuel during the stop in Pittsburgh because the pilot lacked the necessary funds or a company credit card to complete a purchase. As the aircraft was approaching Monongahela Airport, it suffered a loss of power in both engines.
Findings
The investigation determined that the power loss was caused by fuel exhaustion. While the pilot had intended to refuel more extensively at Teterboro, the decision was made by the owner to limit refueling due to high fuel costs and specific gauge readings. Post-incident inspections of the cockpit instruments revealed that the fuel gauges showed 125 gallons in the left tank and 90 gallons in the right tank, though these readings remained static regardless of engine power status.