Piper PA-28-181 N1857H accident near Firebaugh, California

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning and monitoring.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported departing with about 45 gallons of fuel onboard. She initiated a climb to 10,500 feet, and turned on course direct to the destination airport. About 3 1/2 hours into the flight, she checked the fuel gauges, and estimated that there was enough fuel remaining for about 1 hour 10 minutes of flight. About 15 minutes later the engine stopped producing power. The pilot observed one of the gauges was now reading empty, so she switched to the other tank; the engine then regained power, and she diverted to an alternate airport. During the landing approach, the engine then lost power again, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a plowed field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the accident sequence. Post accident inspection revealed that both tanks were intact and absent of fuel. No obvious sources of a fuel leak were noted. The pilot reported encountering strong headwinds during the flight, and further stated that she was not comfortable with the leaning procedure for the airplane type.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09LA164 for the full record.