Flight Execution
The flight was conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). The pilot executed two VOR approaches at the destination airport, each followed by a missed approach. During the second missed approach, the pilot reported a loss of power on the left engine. He subsequently elected to land in an open field.
Weather and Approach Conditions
Witnesses at the field stated that visual conditions existed below the clouds. The nearest weather reporting facility, located about 40 miles east of the destination, reported a scattered cloud layer at 2,900 feet MSL. The minimum descent altitude for the destination approach was 1,020 feet MSL.
Fuel and Accident Site Examination
The pilot reported departing with about 74 gallons of fuel, all in the main tanks. An examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed no fuel in the airplane and no evidence of fuel spillage on the ground. The airplane came to rest vertically, nose down, with trees suspending the airplane such that the nose barely touched the ground.