19980313003379A

Lost power enroute. Crashed in trees. ELT not armed. Pilot died exposure. Fuel was depleted. 911 called ignored. (.4)a 911 caller reported that he heard and saw an airplane fly overhead about 500 feet above the ground on a westerly heading. He stated that the engine was running rough and 'cutting out'. The engine then went silent as the airplane descended below the tree tops. The 911 operator told the caller that she would telephone the local airport, and inquire about the reported airplane. When the 911 operator telephoned the airport, there was no answer. There was no further action by the 911 service until the family of the pilot inquired about the location of the airplane several hours later. The airplane was located two miles east of the airport two days later. The pilot was fatally injured. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma, complicated by hypothermia. According to the pilot's logbook, the airplane had flown 4.6 hours from the time it was last refueled to the time of the crash. The airplane holds 66 gallons of fuel. The fuel consumption ranges betw een 4.125 and 5.5 hours. The pilot had 11 hours of total time in this airplane.