Incident Details
According to the pilot's statement, the flight was en route to North Conway, New Hampshire, with approximately 10 gallons of fuel on board. During the journey, the pilot altered course to the southeast in order to find a break in the clouds that would allow a descent below the cloud layer and to avoid mountainous terrain.
Sequence of Events
After changing course, the pilot was unable to identify any landmarks. Additionally, contact with the Augusta and Kennebunk VOR navigation stations was lost because the aircraft was operating at low altitude. The pilot then realized he was lost and did not have sufficient fuel to climb to an altitude where he could obtain a VOR fix to determine his location. The fuel gauges indicated empty, prompting the pilot to immediately begin searching for a suitable area to execute a forced landing.
The report does not provide further information regarding the outcome of the forced landing or any subsequent events.