What happened
The flight originated at Aurora Municipal Airport in Illinois. After taking off from this location, the pilot executed a landing at an airfield situated west of Elgin to pick up two passengers. Following the boarding of these individuals, the aircraft departed with a destination of Elkhart, Indiana.
While en route to the final destination, the pilot noticed that the low fuel warning light had illuminated. In response to this indication, the decision was made to perform a precautionary landing in an open field. This location was approximately three miles southwest of Michiana Regional Airport near South Bend, Indiana.
Upon inspection following the incident, it was determined that the aircraft's gas tank was completely empty. The pilot reported that substantial damage occurred to the airframe during the flare phase and subsequent hard landing on the uneven terrain.