What happened
Earlier in the day, the aircraft was flown from Danville to Rochelle, Illinois. While on a return flight without refueling, the engine began losing power. The pilot moved the fuel selector to the right tank, which indicated one-quarter full, and power was restored. However, about two minutes later, the engine lost all power and would not restart.
The pilot made an emergency landing on a road. He stated that he delayed extending the gear until the aircraft was clear of power lines. He initiated gear extension, but the aircraft touched down before the gear was fully extended. Subsequently, the aircraft settled and skidded to a stop on its belly.
The investigation
An examination of the fuel system revealed no fuel was remaining.