What happened
The pilot departed NAS China Lake at 1520 hours and arrived in San Diego at approximately 1650 hours. During the initial leg of the flight, the pilot operated using only the left fuel tank. The aircraft remained on the ground in San Diego without being refueled.
At 1715 hours, the aircraft departed San Diego for the return trip to NAS China Lake. At approximately 1835 hours, the engine stopped running. In an attempt to restore power, the pilot switched fuel selection from the right tank to the left and energized the boost pump, which successfully achieved an engine restart. However, a few minutes later, the engine failed a second time, and the pilot was unable to secure another restart.
During the night, the aircraft descended into a cloud deck and collided with hilly terrain while the pilot was attempting a forced landing over desert terrain. At the time of the failure, the pilot was in communication with a TRACON facility receiving radar traffic advisments. Following the engine failure, the pilot informed the controller, "I guess I'm out of fuel."
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures involving the aircraft or the engine.