ATL94LA141

The pilot reported that he departed on a cross country flight with 4 hours of fuel on board, or 24.5 usable gallons. During the first leg of the flight, he became lost, and the flight lasted 2.5 hours (1.7 hours longer than planned). He did not refuel the airplane prior to the return flight, estimating that he would have a fuel reserve of 38 minutes. About 10 miles north of his destination airport, the engine quit. The aircraft was substantially damaged during the forced landing. Post accident examination revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel system. Battery power was applied to the aircraft, and both fuel gauges read 'empty'. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the usable fuel capacity for this aircraft is only 22.5 gallons.

On July 16, 1994, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150K, N6074G, collided with trees and terrain during a forced landing near Vidalia, Georgia. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The private pilot and one passenger had minor injuries. The aircraft was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by Skyways, Inc., of Vidalia. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Vidalia. The flight originated in Milledgeville, Georgia, at 1246.

The pilot reported the following: During the flight to Milledgeville, he had become lost, and the duration of the flight was about 2.5 hours, or 1.7 hours longer than planned. While planning for the return flight, he estimated that the return leg would take about 46 minutes, leaving a fuel reserve of 38 minutes. He did not purchase fuel in Milledgeville. During the return flight to Vidalia, at about ten miles north of the airport, the engine lost power. Unable to maintain cruise power, he elected to force land the airplane in a nearby field. During the landing, he maneuvered the airplane to avoid power lines, and the airplane contacted trees, resulting in structural damage to the wings and empennage.

An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration visited the accident site and inspected the wreckage. He reported that the aircraft fuel system was empty of fuel, and not breached. He applied battery power to the aircraft, and the left and right fuel tank gauges read "empty".

The pilot also reported that he had flown both flights with the fuel mixture control in the "full rich" position, with no leaning at any time. He estimated that he began the cross country flight with four hours of usable fuel on board (24.5 gallons). According to the aircraft manufacturer, the total fuel capacity (usable) for this airplane was 22.5 gallons.