What happened
The pilot was operating the aircraft toward another airfield located approximately 40 miles away to perform repairs on the left wing fuel tank. To facilitate these repairs, the pilot had been intentionally burning off the fuel contained within that specific tank. During the flight, the left tank ran dry, prompting the pilot to switch the fuel selector to the right tank.
Due to approaching weather, the pilot decided to abort the mission and return to the departure airport. While on a two-mile final approach to the runway, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field characterized by tall wheat. During the landing roll, the aircraft nosed over.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft was conducted following the accident. Investigators found that the fuel selector was positioned on the right tank. To determine remaining fuel levels, all fuel was drained from the aircraft. The quantities recovered were 1.5 gallons from the right tank, one quart from the left tank, and two ounces from the gascolator. Given that the specified unusable fuel for this aircraft is 10 gallons, the remaining quantities were noted. After the fuel was replaced, the engine was tested and operated normally.