Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's in-flight planning/decision was inadequate resulting in fuel exhaustion.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
While cruising at 3000 feet, and approximately 3 to 5 miles northeast of his destination, the pilot stated that the engine lost partial power. He stated that his attempt to restart the engine was unsuccessful. Eventually all power was lost at 1000 feet so he decided to make a forced landing in a field. He stated that during the landing the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The total distance of the flight was 115 miles and according to the pilot's operating handbook the unusable fuel is 3.5 gallons, and the fuel consumption as calculated would have been 6.8 gph. During the examination 2 gallons of fuel was drained from the tanks; however there was no fuel inside the carburetor. Examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Source record
Factual narrative
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