What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/31/2018 at 3:00 pm EDT, N2262Q departed hl sonny callahan airport (kcqf) in fairhope Alabama with 4 souls on board. The intended destination was Wilson Industrial Air Center (W03) which was 591.5 nautical miles away straight line distance. The plane left with full fuel which was 48 usable gallons. The plane climbed to 7500 mean sea level (MSL) for cruise. The pilot in command (PIC) set cruise power at 2500 RPM and leaned the mixture to 75 degrees rich of peak EGT (exhaust gas temperature). Pilot stated that he planned the flight using foreflight and with a 34 knot tailwind, the flight time would be 3 hours and 48 minutes at a fuel burn of 10 gallons per hour with the total fuel of 38.5 gallons. When the aircraft was over thomaston-upson county airport (opn) which is 237.7 NM from kcqf the pilot noted the fuel guages read 40 gallons remaining. The pilot, using the garmin 430 calculated a fuel burn of 7.8 gallons per hour at 65 % power which showed 1 hour and 15 minutes of fuel remaining over the destination of W03. The pilot reset the power to 2450 RPM and leaned to 75 deg rich of peak EGT. As they neared W03 airport they began a descent from 7500 feet and switched to the right fuel tank. The pilot stated at this point the right fuel guage read 10 gallons and the left fuel guage read 6 gallons. As the plane descended through 4000 feet MSL, the engine sputtered. The PIC switched to the left tank and the engine ran for 5 minutes and quit. Pilot attempted a restart and declared an emergency on 121.5. The PIC made the decision to land on interstate 95 because he could see the cars lights. The plane landed safely, no injuries reported, no damage to the aircraft and no damage to property on the ground. Pilot said the total flight from takeoff to touchdown was 4 hours and 16 minutes.
It was determined that the PIC miscalculated the proper fuel burn in gallons per hour which caused fuel exhaustion.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/31/2018 AT 3:00 PM EDT, N2262Q DEPARTED HL SONNY CALLAHAN AIRPORT (KCQF) IN FAIRHOPE ALABAMA WITH 4 SOULS ON BOARD. THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS WILSON INDUSTRIAL AIR CENTER (W03) WHICH WAS 591.5 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY STRAIGHT LINE DISTANCE. THE PLANE LEFT WITH FULL FUEL WHICH WAS 48 USABLE GALLONS. THE PLANE CLIMBED TO 7500 MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) FOR CRUISE. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) SET CRUISE POWER AT 2500 RPM AND LEANED THE MIXTURE TO 75 DEGREES RICH OF PEAK EGT (EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE). PILOT STATED THAT HE PLANNED THE FLIGHT USING FOREFLIGHT AND WITH A 34 KNOT TAILWIND, THE FLIGHT TIME WOULD BE 3 HOURS AND 48 MINUTES AT A FUEL BURN OF 10 GALLONS PER HOUR WITH THE TOTAL FUEL OF 38.5 GALLONS. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER THOMASTON-UPSON COUNTY AIRPORT (OPN) WHICH IS 237.7 NM FROM KCQF THE PILOT NOTED THE FUEL GUAGES READ 40 GALLONS REMAINING. THE PILOT, USING THE GARMIN 430 CALCULATED A FUEL BURN OF 7.8 GALLONS PER HOUR AT 65 % POWER WHICH SHOWED 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING OVER THE DESTINATION OF W03. THE PILOT RESET THE POWER TO 2450 RPM AND LEANED TO 75 DEG RICH OF PEAK EGT. AS THEY NEARED W03 AIRPORT THEY BEGAN A DESCENT FROM 7500 FEET AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. THE PILOT STATED AT THIS POINT THE RIGHT FUEL GUAGE READ 10 GALLONS AND THE LEFT FUEL GUAGE READ 6 GALLONS. AS THE PLANE DESCENDED THROUGH 4000 FEET MSL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE PIC SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK AND THE ENGINE RAN FOR 5 MINUTES AND QUIT. PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ON 121.5. THE PIC MADE THE DECISION TO LAND ON INTERSTATE 95 BECAUSE HE COULD SEE THE CARS LIGHTS. THE PLANE LANDED SAFELY, NO INJURIES REPORTED, NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND. PILOT SAID THE TOTAL FLIGHT FROM TAKEOFF TO TOUCHDOWN WAS 4 HOURS AND 16 MINUTES.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PIC MISCALCULATED THE PROPER FUEL BURN IN GALLONS PER HOUR WHICH CAUSED FUEL EXHAUSTION.