Engine Lost Total Power After Its Usable Fuel Supply Was Exhausted

Location: Conway, South Carolina Accident Number: ERA25LA097
Date & Time: January 14, 2025, 07:00 Local Registration: N938SE
Aircraft: Jonathan C Eggers Challenger II Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fuel exhaustion Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: At the end of a 2.5-hour flight, the pilot had started his approach to land at his destination airport when the engine lost total power after its usable fuel supply was exhausted. The pilot then attempted a forced landing, but while attempting to avoid a powerline, the airplane struck a barn. The airplane came to rest in a ditch along a rural road and sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov