What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that he performed three solo takeoffs and landings to a full stop at the pulaski, WI airport (92C) to satisfy the passenger-carrying recency of experience requirements. His sole passenger then boarded the aircraft and departed for rhinelander, WI (rhi). While in cruise flight at 4,500 feet, the engine failed. The pilot advanced the mixture control to rich and power was restored for 3 to 5 seconds. The engine then failed again and subsequent restart attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot made a forced landing in a field approximately 17 nautical miles short of rhinelander. The field was covered with 18 to 20 inches of snow. During the roll out, the aircraft flipped over on its back causing substantial damage to portions of the wings, empennage, and fuselage.
On on-site inspection of the aircraft by personnel of the milwaukee flight standards district office found that there was just a trace of fuel in the carburetor, fuel strainer and fuel tanks. The fuel supply had been exhausted approximately 30 minutes after the aircraft had departed pulaski for rhinelander.
The pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection and estimated that he had 24.5 gallons of fuel, which represents 1/2 the usable fuel capacity of the aircraft. The pilot also stated that 100LL fuel is not available at pulaski so it is common practice for pilots to obtain fuel at clintonville, WI (cli) or shawano, WI (ezs). Shawano is 17 nautical miles northwest of pulaski and 5 nautical miles left of a straight course between pulaski and rhinelander.
The owner of the aircraft from whom the aircraft was rented stated that the aircraft was fueled to only 1/4 of the fuel capacity of the aircraft, which was 12.25. Gallons.
According to the CE-177 pilot's operating handbook, 12.2 gallons of fuel would be required to accomplish three full stop takeoffs and landings followed by a takeoff and cruise flight at 4,500 feet MSL for 24 minutes at 75% power.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED THREE SOLO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS TO A FULL STOP AT THE PULASKI, WI AIRPORT (92C) TO SATISFY THE PASSENGER-CARRYING RECENCY OF EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS. HIS SOLE PASSENGER THEN BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED FOR RHINELANDER, WI (RHI). WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 4,500 FEET, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT ADVANCED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO RICH AND POWER WAS RESTORED FOR 3 TO 5 SECONDS. THE ENGINE THEN FAILED AGAIN AND SUBSEQUENT RESTART ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 17 NAUTICAL MILES SHORT OF RHINELANDER. THE FIELD WAS COVERED WITH 18 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW. DURING THE ROLL OUT, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO PORTIONS OF THE WINGS, EMPENNAGE, AND FUSELAGE.
ON ON-SITE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY PERSONNEL OF THE MILWAUKEE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE FOUND THAT THERE WAS JUST A TRACE OF FUEL IN THE CARBURETOR, FUEL STRAINER AND FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL SUPPLY HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED PULASKI FOR RHINELANDER.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD 24.5 GALLONS OF FUEL, WHICH REPRESENTS 1/2 THE USABLE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT 100LL FUEL IS NOT AVAILABLE AT PULASKI SO IT IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR PILOTS TO OBTAIN FUEL AT CLINTONVILLE, WI (CLI) OR SHAWANO, WI (EZS). SHAWANO IS 17 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF PULASKI AND 5 NAUTICAL MILES LEFT OF A STRAIGHT COURSE BETWEEN PULASKI AND RHINELANDER.
THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM WHOM THE AIRCRAFT WAS RENTED STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED TO ONLY 1/4 OF THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS 12.25. GALLONS.
ACCORDING TO THE CE-177 PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, 12.2 GALLONS OF FUEL WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH THREE FULL STOP TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS FOLLOWED BY A TAKEOFF AND CRUISE FLIGHT AT 4,500 FEET MSL FOR 24 MINUTES AT 75% POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.