Aeronca 7AC N81624 accident near St. Clairsville, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilots improper fuel planning that resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that she was 12 miles from her planned refueling destination when the airplane’s engine lost power. She performed a forced landing to a grass field during which the airplane’s main landing gear was damaged. Further inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to forward fuselage beneath the cabin area. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who traveled to the accident scene reported that the airplane’s fuel tank was empty. There were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that she departed with 13 gallons of fuel and had calculated the fuel burn for that leg of flight at 9.4 gallons of fuel for a 2 hour and 5 minute flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN20LA422 for the full record.