Event ERA11CA449

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that the airplane's fuel tanks were full prior to departing on the 2.5-hour cross-country flight. Approximately 20 miles north of the destination airport, the pilot observed a low fuel caution. He elected to divert to an airport approximately 20 miles east of the airplane's position, and approximately 2 miles from the diversion airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot selected a field and conducted a forced landing. The airplane landed hard resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine firewall. Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane's fuel tanks were void of fuel, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage. The pilot stated that the airplane's fuel tanks were full prior to departing on the 2 1/2 hour cross-country flight. About 20 miles north of the destination, the pilot observed a low fuel caution. He requested from air traffic control a diversion to the nearest airport, which was about 20 miles east of the airplane's position; about 2 miles from the airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot selected a field and conducted a forced landing. The airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine firewall. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane's fuel tanks were empty and there was no evidence of fuel spillage. The pilot said that he had flown this route before and had used the same power settings for this flight. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C