What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Low on fuel short destination. Ran out on try for dab. Misjudged fuel burn for distance covered. Two miles short. (-23) on 12/26/96, acfr departed elizabeth city, NC with full fuel enroute to melbourne, FL. The pilot diverted to Daytona Beach, FL (dab) after reporting he was low on fuel. While on final approach, the engine lost power and a forced landing was made in a wooded area about 2 miles from the airport. The pilot and a pax were not injured, while the acft sustained substantial damage. The elapsed flight time since takeoff was 4 hours and 26 minutes. Examination of the acft at the accident site revealed that the fuel tanks were empty. No evidence of fuel leakage was found. After the acft was recovered from the accident site and moved to an FBO at dab, an attempt WA s made to run the engine after fuel was added to one of the tanks. The engine started almost immediately and developed power. According to the acft owners manual, the acft should have had a flight endurance of approx 6 hours, at the rpm/power setting reportedly used by the pilot. Inspection of the acft for evidence of any mechanical discrepancies did not reveal any evid ence of any mechanical malfunction or failure that might have led to a higher than normal fuel consumption rate not be detectable by monitoring the fuel flow gauge. The investigation did reveal that the acft had an inaccurate fuel quantity indicating system. The right tank gauge indicated 1/4 full when the tank was empty. The left gauge indicated slightly above empty with the tank empty. The PIC reported that he had purchased the acft about 3 months before the accident. His total flight experience in the aircraft was about 24 hours.
As the FAA filed it
LOW ON FUEL SHORT DESTINATION. RAN OUT ON TRY FOR DAB. MISJUDGED FUEL BURN FOR DISTANCE COVERED. TWO MILES SHORT. (-23) ON 12/26/96, ACFR DEPARTED ELIZABETH CITY, NC WITH FULL FUEL ENROUTE TO MELBOURNE, FL. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO DAYTONA BEACH, FL (DAB) AFTER REPORTING HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A WOODED AREA ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT AND A PAX WERE NOT INJURED, WHILE THE ACFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE ELAPSED FLIGHT TIME SINCE TAKEOFF WAS 4 HOURS AND 26 MINUTES. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE WAS FOUND. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE AND MOVED TO AN FBO AT DAB, AN ATTEMPT WA S MADE TO RUN THE ENGINE AFTER FUEL WAS ADDED TO ONE OF THE TANKS. THE ENGINE STARTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND DEVELOPED POWER. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT OWNERS MANUAL, THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE HAD A FLIGHT ENDURANCE OF APPROX 6 HOURS, AT THE RPM/POWER SETTING REPORTEDLY USED BY THE PILOT. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT FOR EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVID ENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE THAT MIGHT HAVE LED TO A HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE NOT BE DETECTABLE BY MONITORING THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE. THE INVESTIGATION DID REVEAL THAT THE ACFT HAD AN INACCURATE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYSTEM. THE RIGHT TANK GAUGE INDICATED 1/4 FULL WHEN THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THE LEFT GAUGE INDICATED SLIGHTLY ABOVE EMPTY WITH THE TANK EMPTY. THE PIC REPORTED THAT HE HAD PURCHASED THE ACFT ABOUT 3 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HIS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 24 HOURS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.