Fuel exhaustion Accident Van's RV-4 N131DS, Sunday 6 August 2000

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Date:	Sunday 6 August 2000
Time:	17:20 LT
Type:	Van's RV-4
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N131DS
MSN:	2977
Total airframe hrs:	82 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-320-D1A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Bismarck, ND - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Stevens Point, WI (STE
Destination airport:	(KBIS)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The airplane nosed over during a forced landing. The pilot reported that a loss of engine power occurred after he was cleared to land. He reported he was too far from the runway, so he selected a gravel road on which to make the forced landing. The gravel road dead-ended at an intersection with a paved road. The airplane traveled off the end of the gravel road, crossed the paved road, and contacted a drainage ditch where it nosed over. The pilot reported that the loss of engine power was a result of fuel exhaustion and the accident could have been prevented had he landed earlier for fuel.

Probable Cause: Inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor associated with the accident was the drainage ditch that the airplane contacted.

Accident investigation: