Incident Overview
During a bright night cruise flight, the pilot reported a sudden drop in manifold pressure, followed by a loss of engine power and backfiring. Attempts to adjust power settings were ineffective. The pilot noted that the inside of the windshield frosted over after the engine lost power, and he utilized the side window and landing lights as aids for landing.
Landing Decision
The pilot initially intended to land on a road but chose a field adjacent to it due to the presence of powerlines. The landing was executed on the selected field.
Post-Event Investigation
Upon inspection at the scene, no fuel was found in the fuel tanks or in the electric fuel pump. After fuel was added to the aircraft, the engine was successfully test-run according to the manufacturer's specifications, indicating no mechanical issues beyond fuel starvation.