He Didn’t Refuel
He might have believed that there was enough fuel for a short spin, but the design of the aircraft required the pilot to un-buckle and turn around completely to switch the secondary fuel tank valve.
Photo by Globe Photos / mediapunch / Shutterstock
Denver apparently turned down the offer to refuel, insisting that he would use autopilot to keep the plane level while moving to turn the fuel selector valve. Experts believe that while doing that, he likely extended his foot onto the right rudder pedal, creating a downward turn.