ERA17LA040

The private pilot planned to fly the airplane to another airport to purchase fuel. Before departing, he used a wooden stick to estimate the airplane's fuel level. While en route, the engine abruptly lost power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and executed a forced landing to a field; the airplane struck trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the accident site, the airplane's fuel tanks, and components of the airplane's fuel system revealed only trace quantities of fuel. Thus, it is likely that the pilot overestimated the airplane's fuel quantity before departing on the flight and that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.

On November 8, 2016, about 1415 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177B, N30703, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Hopkinton, Rhode Island. The private pilot was not injured. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Windham Airport (IJD), Willimantic, Connecticut, and was destined for Richmond Airport (08R), West Kingston, Rhode Island. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. After a normal preflight inspection, the pilot departed towards the southwest for the 28 nautical mile flight to 08R. During cruise flight, about 7 nautical miles from the destination airport, the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. From an altitude of 1,800 ft mean sea level, the pilot selected a field and executed a forced landing. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted two small trees before it came to rest, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and the fuselage. The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to get fuel at 08R. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the airplane before it was recovered did not observe any fuel in the intact left wing fuel tank, or the compromised right fuel tank; nor was there any blighting of the grass or any other evidence of a fuel spill. The first responders did not report any fuel leaking from the airplane; and recovery personnel removing the wings did not report any fuel present in the fuel strainer bowl when the fuel line was removed. During a subsequent exam by an FAA inspector, 12 ounces of fuel was drained from the carburetor, electric fuel pump, and fuel bowl. The fuel pump contained a few drops of residual fuel. The fuel collected was free of debris and water. The Cessna 177 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) requires that fuel quantity be "visually checked" during preflight. According to the pilot, he "stuck" the tanks with a wooden stick prior to departing and determined there was about 3 inches of fuel from the bottom of the tank; which he determined to be about 12 total gallons of fuel, or 6 gallons of fuel per tank. He stated that the engine typically consumed about 10 gallons of fuel per hour. He planned for the flight to 08R to take about 20 to 30 minutes. The airplane had flown two previous flights before since last being fueled. The four-seat, high-wing, tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 1969. It was powered by Lycoming O-360, 180-horsepower engine, driving McCauley controllable pitch propeller. Its most recent annual inspection was completed November 6, 2015. The weather conditions reported at the Westerly State Airport (WST), Westerly, Rhode Island, which was located about 11 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 210° at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 15° C, dew point 3° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.05 inches ofmercury.