What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot departed rld enroute to geg. He was cleared to land and on a 3 mile final, the engine began to "sputter" and lose power. The pilot elected to land in a field and finally decided to land on a parallel gravel road. The landing was successful, however, the left wing tip struck a road sign. This caused the aircraft to veer left into a ditch and came to rest with the nose almost straight down against a barbed wire fence and two large trees. The pilot stated the fuel gauge indicated 3/4 full of fuel when he departed rld and he had a 15KT headwind all the way. He stated he visually checked the fuel tanks, but did not gauge the tanks. He had a CE-152 fuel dip gauge in the aircraft, but did not use it. He stated more than once that, "his fuel gauges never lie." When the pilot visited the office on 5-31-2005, he admitted he ran out of fuel in the aircraft. There was less than one quart of fuel drained from the aircraft fuel system at the accident site.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED RLD ENROUTE TO GEG. HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND ON A 3 MILE FINAL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "SPUTTER" AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD AND FINALLY DECIDED TO LAND ON A PARALLEL GRAVEL ROAD. THE LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL, HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK A ROAD SIGN. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER LEFT INTO A DITCH AND CAME TO REST WITH THE NOSE ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN AGAINST A BARBED WIRE FENCE AND TWO LARGE TREES. THE PILOT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 3/4 FULL OF FUEL WHEN HE DEPARTED RLD AND HE HAD A 15KT HEADWIND ALL THE WAY. HE STATED HE VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL TANKS, BUT DID NOT GAUGE THE TANKS. HE HAD A CE-152 FUEL DIP GAUGE IN THE AIRCRAFT, BUT DID NOT USE IT. HE STATED MORE THAN ONCE THAT, "HIS FUEL GAUGES NEVER LIE." WHEN THE PILOT VISITED THE OFFICE ON 5-31-2005, HE ADMITTED HE RAN OUT OF FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS LESS THAN ONE QUART OF FUEL DRAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.