What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft ran out of fuel and crashed. (.19) on November 25, 1998, about 1230 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7177W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Reno, Ohio. The certificated private pilot was uninjured, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight between sussex airport (fwn), sussex, new jersey, and wood county airport (pkb), parkersburg, west Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot stated that he ran out of fuel. The pilot said he was flying at 75 per cent power, but did not lean out the mixture because the engine had recently been overhauled. (-23) the private pilot departed sussex, new jersey enroute to California. While approaching parkersburg, west Virginia (kpkb), the engine began running rough. At five miles from the airport, the pilot declared an emergency with kpkb tower. The engine quit shortly thereafter. The pilot determined that a landing at the airport was not possible. The pilot attempted to lan d in a corn field. He then turned the airplane and headed for a ditch wheich enabled the airplane to come to a full stop. The pilot stated the airplane's fuel tanks were empty which was confirmed by FAA inspectors on the scene. He also stated that during flight the fuel gauges read empty but the flight manual showed there should be another hour of fuel. (.4) the airplane departed on a cross country flight with full fuel tanks. The pilot flight-planned for 4 hours of flight, but after 2 1/2 hours noticed the 'fuel gauges looked unusually low.' He diverted to an airport, and 1/2 hour later, about 2 nautical miles from that airport, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field. Post flight inspection revealed evidence of slight fuel leakage at the carburetor fuel inlet fitting, a pinhole leak in the fuel primer line, and a very slight fuel stain emanating from the left wing fuel cap. There was no evidence of faulty fuel gauges at low fuel levels. A review of the local sectional aeronautical chart revealed that the pilot selected an airport which was ahead, and along the intended route. However, there were numerous other airports which were closer, and could have been selected, but were not along the intended route.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND CRASHED. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 25, 1998, ABOUT 1230 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N7177W, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR RENO, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS UNINJURED, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT BETWEEN SUSSEX AIRPORT (FWN), SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY, AND WOOD COUNTY AIRPORT (PKB), PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS FLYING AT 75 PER CENT POWER, BUT DID NOT LEAN OUT THE MIXTURE BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAD RECENTLY BEEN OVERHAULED. (-23) THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY ENROUTE TO CALIFORNIA. WHILE APPROACHING PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA (KPKB), THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. AT FIVE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH KPKB TOWER. THE ENGINE QUIT SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT A LANDING AT THE AIRPORT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAN D IN A CORN FIELD. HE THEN TURNED THE AIRPLANE AND HEADED FOR A DITCH WHEICH ENABLED THE AIRPLANE TO COME TO A FULL STOP. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY FAA INSPECTORS ON THE SCENE. HE ALSO STATED THAT DURING FLIGHT THE FUEL GAUGES READ EMPTY BUT THE FLIGHT MANUAL SHOWED THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER HOUR OF FUEL. (.4) THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH FULL FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT FLIGHT-PLANNED FOR 4 HOURS OF FLIGHT, BUT AFTER 2 1/2 HOURS NOTICED THE 'FUEL GAUGES LOOKED UNUSUALLY LOW.' HE DIVERTED TO AN AIRPORT, AND 1/2 HOUR LATER, ABOUT 2 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THAT AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF SLIGHT FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE CARBURETOR FUEL INLET FITTING, A PINHOLE LEAK IN THE FUEL PRIMER LINE, AND A VERY SLIGHT FUEL STAIN EMANATING FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL CAP. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FAULTY FUEL GAUGES AT LOW FUEL LEVELS. A REVIEW OF THE LOCAL SECTIONAL AERONAUTICAL CHART REVEALED THAT THE PILOT SELECTED AN AIRPORT WHICH WAS AHEAD, AND ALONG THE INTENDED ROUTE. HOWEVER, THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER AIRPORTS WHICH WERE CLOSER, AND COULD HAVE BEEN SELECTED, BUT WERE NOT ALONG THE INTENDED ROUTE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.