20010429007229A

(-23)On April 29, 2001 at approximately 1300 local time (PDT), N2567C a Cessna 170-B, standard certification, experienced a power failure while approaching Henderson executive airport (L15) for landing. The pilot (only occupant in the aircraft) attempted an emergency landing on a dirt road about one mile west of the airport. The pilot was unable to land on the road substatially damaging the airplane during the emergency. There were no injuries and there was no damage to property on the surface. (.4) in a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he left Henderson approximately 1230 for the local flight. He stated that he took off with an estimated 15 to 18 gallons of fuel onboard. There were no records indicating that the airplane had been fueled prior to the flight. He practiced flight maneuvers and three wheel landings at a nearby dry lake bed and then landed at jean, Nevada, airport for a 20-minute rest stop. He did not fuel the aircraft at jean airport, which had fuel service available. He stated that during his return to Henderson, the engine slowed down and stopped approximately 3 miles from the airport. He attempted a restart. The engine restarted a ND ran for about 1 minute and stopped again, resulting in a forced landing 1 mile short of the airport in rough desert terrain. He stated that the accident happened at 1400. This would indicate a flight time of 1 hour 10 minutes. According to the owner's manual for the airplane, the maximum fuel consumption at sea level with the mixture leaned is 12.5 gallons per hour. At a cruise altitude of 5,000 feet with mixture leaned, the fuel consumption is 9.6 gallons per hour. The airplane holds 42 gallons of fuel in two wing tanks. The useable fuel is 37 gallons. This leaves approximately 2.5 gallons of unusable fuel in each wing tank, which would result in 13 gallons available when the airplane initially departed.