What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot states she physically checked both fuel tanks as being topped off for a nonstop flight from palm springs, CA to sanjose, CA. She had been switching tanks to maintain fuel balance. She thought she had 30 minutes of fuel left in one of the tanks and was running on the fuller tank in which she estimated had 1 hr of fuel remaining. When over Firebaugh the engine started to sputter so she switched to the lesser tank and started looking for a place to land. While circling Firebaugh to land the second tank ran dry and the airplane came to rest approx 200' short on the extended centerline of runway 30. Pilot states she was operating at normal cruise power with a leaned mixture. Both tanks were dry after 3 hrs and 45 minutes of flight time.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATES SHE PHYSICALLY CHECKED BOTH FUEL TANKS AS BEING TOPPED OFF FOR A NONSTOP FLIGHT FROM PALM SPRINGS, CA TO SANJOSE, CA. SHE HAD BEEN SWITCHING TANKS TO MAINTAIN FUEL BALANCE. SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD 30 MINUTES OF FUEL LEFT IN ONE OF THE TANKS AND WAS RUNNING ON THE FULLER TANK IN WHICH SHE ESTIMATED HAD 1 HR OF FUEL REMAINING. WHEN OVER FIREBAUGH THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER SO SHE SWITCHED TO THE LESSER TANK AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. WHILE CIRCLING FIREBAUGH TO LAND THE SECOND TANK RAN DRY AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROX 200' SHORT ON THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 30. PILOT STATES SHE WAS OPERATING AT NORMAL CRUISE POWER WITH A LEANED MIXTURE. BOTH TANKS WERE DRY AFTER 3 HRS AND 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.