NYC96LA029

The pilot/owner and her husband, also a pilot, departed on a cross-country flight. The pilot did not check the airplane's fuel tanks, but estimated that the tanks were half full. After takeoff, at 6,500 feet, the pilot observed the fuel gauge to read empty and decided to make a precautionary landing before the engine lost power. Before the landing could be made, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to an open field, but the airplane collided with trees. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failures of the airframe or engine, and no fuel was detected in any of the airplane's fuel tanks, or on the ground. Four days before the accident, the pilots were at another airport, and had made a request for the fixed base operator to change the oil and refuel the airplane. The airplane was not refueled, and the invoice for the services did not include fuel. The airplane was then flown on four separate flights, without either of the pilots checking the airplane's fuel quantity. The airplane was flown a total of 4.1 hours, the estimated fuel duration was 3.6 hours.

On November 28, 1995, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 8-KCAB, N53835, was destroyed during a forced landing near Sheffield, Massachusetts. The private pilot and passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Westover AFB, Chicopee, Massachusetts, at 1245. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that she and her husband, also a pilot, owned the airplane. They had landed at Westover AFB on November 25, 1995, after a cross country flight from California.

The pilot further stated:

...on Sunday, November 26, I sat in the front seat for the departure on the first leg of...a 2 day flight home ...We planned to fly toward Wilkes-Barra, PA., but anticipated an earlier stop for lunch and fuel. I omitted to check the fuel gauge during the pre-flight inspection and run-up...I estimated that there was a half-tank...I took off from Westover...and I did a climb to 6,500 feet, and then scanned the fuel gauge... I was astonished to find that the gauge appeared to read empty...I gradually descended...we were about 7 miles from the Great Barrington Airport...at that point the fuel gauge read dead empty. I looked for possible landing sites...the engine quit...and I attempted to do a right downwind landing at the green field just ahead and to the right ...I hit the branches of a stand of trees just to the south of the intended landing area...

According to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact failures of the airframe or engine, and no fuel was detected in any of the airplane's fuel tanks, or on the ground.

According to the pilot's statement, during the flight from California, they had refueled at Bridgeport, Connecticut, on November 24, 1995. They then flew a .9 hour flight to the Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED), Bedford, Massachusetts, where her husband flew a friend on a local flight for .8 hour. The pilot and her husband spent the night in Bedford, and had requested that the BED fixed base operator change the engine oil, and refuel the airplane. The engine oil was changed; however, the airplane was not refueled.

When they arrived on November 25, 1995, and paid the invoice, neither pilot checked the services completed, nor did they checked the airplane's fuel quantity. Another friend was flown for .9 hour at BED, before the pilot and her husband flew to Westover, another .8 hour flight. They did not request refueling of the airplane at Westover.

The estimated total flight time logged on the full tank of fuel was 4.1 hours, including the accident flight. According to the pilot, the airplane's fuel tank held 36 gallons. At the pilot's estimated fuel consumption of 10 gallons per hour, the airplane had a flying duration of 3.6 hours.