What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Mr. Tanner stated that he had his fuel tanks topped off at lakeland, Florida. After which he proceeded to head to his final destination which was auburn airport in Alabama. He stated after take-off his passenger noticed that the cover to the fuel tank on the right side had blown open. (Not the fuel cap). He notified the tower of his problem and they cleared him tyo land to correct the problem. After which he departed for auburn airport, Mr. Tanner stated he felt he had enough fuel with a thirty minute reserve for this trip. When asked at the scene what he flight planned for as FAR as airspeed Mr. Tanner responded to 140 KTS. The inspector asked him what his ground speed was coming up from Florida he replied 90 to 95 KTS. Mr. Tanner told sgt corbett of the russell county sheriff's dept. At the scene that he probably ran out of gas. The next day at the scene Mr. Tanner told the inspector investigating the accident in front of the insurance investigator that he ran out of fuel. (.4) according to the pilot, he had flown the same trip as the accident flight five times previously, except for three differences; (1) on this particular flight, the refuelers did not top off the fuel tanks as requested, (2) following departure, the flight had to return to the departure airport due to inadvertently leaving the right wing fueling door open, and (3) the flight encountered unanticipated strength of head winds. Nine minutes short of destination, the engine stopped operating, and the pilot conducted an emergency landing to a vacant field. The pilot was not injured, a passenger sustained minor injuries, and the aircraft recieved substantial damage. Postcrash examination of the aircraft and it's components revealed no mechanical malfunctions, and the fuel tanks contained no fuel. Postcrash, the pilot stated to the FAA that, "I ran out of gas."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) MR. TANNER STATED THAT HE HAD HIS FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF AT LAKELAND, FLORIDA. AFTER WHICH HE PROCEEDED TO HEAD TO HIS FINAL DESTINATION WHICH WAS AUBURN AIRPORT IN ALABAMA. HE STATED AFTER TAKE-OFF HIS PASSENGER NOTICED THAT THE COVER TO THE FUEL TANK ON THE RIGHT SIDE HAD BLOWN OPEN. (NOT THE FUEL CAP). HE NOTIFIED THE TOWER OF HIS PROBLEM AND THEY CLEARED HIM TYO LAND TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER WHICH HE DEPARTED FOR AUBURN AIRPORT, MR. TANNER STATED HE FELT HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL WITH A THIRTY MINUTE RESERVE FOR THIS TRIP. WHEN ASKED AT THE SCENE WHAT HE FLIGHT PLANNED FOR AS FAR AS AIRSPEED MR. TANNER RESPONDED TO 140 KTS. THE INSPECTOR ASKED HIM WHAT HIS GROUND SPEED WAS COMING UP FROM FLORIDA HE REPLIED 90 TO 95 KTS. MR. TANNER TOLD SGT CORBETT OF THE RUSSELL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT. AT THE SCENE THAT HE PROBABLY RAN OUT OF GAS. THE NEXT DAY AT THE SCENE MR. TANNER TOLD THE INSPECTOR INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT IN FRONT OF THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR THAT HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD FLOWN THE SAME TRIP AS THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT FIVE TIMES PREVIOUSLY, EXCEPT FOR THREE DIFFERENCES; (1) ON THIS PARTICULAR FLIGHT, THE REFUELERS DID NOT TOP OFF THE FUEL TANKS AS REQUESTED, (2) FOLLOWING DEPARTURE, THE FLIGHT HAD TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT DUE TO INADVERTENTLY LEAVING THE RIGHT WING FUELING DOOR OPEN, AND (3) THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED UNANTICIPATED STRENGTH OF HEAD WINDS. NINE MINUTES SHORT OF DESTINATION, THE ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING, AND THE PILOT CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO A VACANT FIELD. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, A PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT RECIEVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT'S COMPONENTS REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS, AND THE FUEL TANKS CONTAINED NO FUEL. POSTCRASH, THE PILOT STATED TO THE FAA THAT, "I RAN OUT OF GAS."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.