Cessna 195 N1097D accident near El Cajon, California

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to verify the fuel quantity prior to departure, which led to a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The airplane had recently undergone maintenance, during which time the mechanic removed the fuel from the wings. The pilot stated that after completing the maintenance, the mechanic told him that he added the fuel back in the wings, so the pilot did not add any additional fuel. The pilot checked the quantity on the fuel gauges, but they were erroneous. He did not verify the quantity by doing a visual check of the actual fluid onboard. After departure, the engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot made an off-airport landing on a freeway and the airplane came to rest adjacent to an onramp, about three miles short of the runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR22LA308 for the full record.