Incident Overview
While en route, the engine lost power and the pilot was unable to restart it. The aircraft subsequently executed a forced landing on a road at dusk. During the landing, the vertical stabilizer struck a wire, resulting in significant damage.
Damage Details
Approximately 16 inches were cut off the top of the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder was torn loose from its hinges.
Fuel Investigation
During the post-incident investigation, only a small amount of fuel, reportedly about 4 gallons, was found in the fuel tanks. According to the flight manual, 1.5 gallons of fuel in each tank is unusable in level flight. In other than level flight, up to 5 gallons in each tank is unusable. No other preimpact discrepancies were found.
Conclusion
The source provides no explicit statement of probable cause. The investigation found no other preimpact discrepancies beyond the fuel quantity observations.