THE ACFT WAS RENTED FOR A X-COUNTRY FLT FORM SAN JOSE, CA TO SAN LUIS OBISPO & GROVER CITY, CA, THEN RETURN TO SAN JOSE. THE PLT DEPARTED SAN JOSE WITH FULL FUEL TANKS. AT SAN LUIS OBISPO, 5.3 GAL WAS PURCHASED; HOWEVER, NO FUEL WAS OBTAINED AT GROVER CITY. ON THE RETURN FLT, THE ACFT LOST POWER & WAS DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING AT NIGHT, APRX 2 MI FROM THE DESTINATION ARPT. DURING A POST-CRASH EXAM, ONLY 2.5 TO 3 GAL OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANKS. ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL, THE USABLE FUEL CAPACITY WAS 26 GAL, OF WHICH, 3.5 GAL WAS UNUSABLE. AT 7 GAL/HR, THE ACFT WOULD HAVE CONSUMED 27.8 GAL OF FUEL IN 3.97 HRS. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT FLT HR RECORDING METER, THE PLANE HAD FLOWN 4 HRS AFTER DEPARTING SAN JOSE. THE PLT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING APRX 1/4 & 1/2 FULL WHEN THE ENG LOST POWER.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

LIGHT CONDITION..DARK NIGHT

Contributing Factors

ENGINE INSTRUMENTS,FUEL QUANTITY GAGE..INCORRECT

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