Mooney M20 N7072V accident near Rogers, Arkansas

Probable cause

The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that she departed on a cross-country flight, with a planned duration of about 3 hours and 20 minutes. During the flight she leaned the mixture and switched fuel tanks on the hour. During the approach to the destination airport the engine "coughed and ran rough", the pilot stated that she changed fuel tanks and turned on the boost pump. The engine "coughed" again, and she determined that she could not make the runway, which was about 4 miles way. She elected to perform a forced landing in a nearby field. The aircraft was substantially damaged during the forced landing. Air traffic control tower's last radio contact with the aircraft stated that the pilot reported that she did not have enough gas and would have to land in a field. Aircraft recovery personnel reported that the fuel tanks had not been breeched during the accident and that the fuel tanks were empty.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DFW08CA180 for the full record.