What happened
While returning to the airport, the pilot reported that the engine ceased operation. In an attempt to land into the wind and maneuver around a road and power lines located ahead of the aircraft, the pilot executed a left turn. During this maneuver, the airplane made contact with the ground in a nose-down and left-wing-down position. Following the initial impact, the aircraft pivoted 180 degrees until it was pointing directly north.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage and the accident site revealed no evidence of fuel remaining in the airplane or present at the scene. The pilot indicated that he was unaware of the exact amount of fuel on board prior to the event. According to the pilot, his standard fueling method involved filling the tank until the automatic shut-off on the nozzle engaged. He further noted that he could not precisely track the volume of fuel added to the aircraft because he utilized a personal 100-gallon tank that lacked a metering device.