Fuel exhaustion involving a Piper PA-25-235, VH-SSP, 19 km south of Anakie, Victoria, on 28 November 1996

The aircraft was involved in spraying operations. The pilot reported that at the end of the third load for the day, while pulling out of the final spray run and banking to the right, the engine failed suddenly and completely. The pilot rolled the wings level and flew towards a farm track at an oblique angle. While slewing the aircraft around to the left to align it with the track, the left wing hit a wire fence. This slewed the aircraft further to the left where it ran into another fence and nosed forward hitting the propeller on the ground.

When the aircraft was inspected after the accident, there was only half a litre of fuel drained from the entire fuel system. The flight time since the last refuel was consistent with fuel exhaustion. After the accident, the engine was started and ran normally.