N42712

On July 16, 1995, approximately 1215 central daylight time, a Cessna 182L, N42712, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of power, near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane, owned by the pilot, was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The personal, cross country flight originated from Hardwick Field, Cleveland, Tennessee, at 0805, and was en route to Sundance Airpark, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A visual flight rules flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the flight.

The pilot reported that, as the airplane approached Oklahoma City, he noticed that "the fuel gauges were indicating nearly empty" and decided to divert to nearby Expressway Junction Airpark, to refuel. After having difficulty locating Expressway Junction, he decided to continue the flight to his original destination, Sundance Airpark. Prior to reaching Sundance, the engine "quit" and the pilot executed a forced landing to a ROUGH field. Examination of the aircraft revealed no usable fuel in the tanks and structural damage to the firewall.

According to the pilot, the airplane has a 78 gallon fuel capacity; however, he measured approximately 73 gallons of fuel on board prior to departure from Cleveland. The airplane was airborne approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes prior to the forced landing.