Accident Overview
After a flight duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes, the aircraft's engine failed. The pilot initiated a forced landing approach toward an open field. The subsequent touchdown was hard, and the aircraft nosed over onto its back.
Post-Accident Observations
Ground witnesses who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident reported no evidence of a fuel spill and did not detect any odor of fuel in the vicinity of the aircraft.
Fuel Recovery and Engine Test
The operator reported that only 3 quarts of fuel were obtained from the aircraft's fuel system after the accident. Following the replacement of the propeller and the addition of fuel to the tanks, the engine started and ran successfully.