What happened
The pilot departed from North Las Vegas Airport in a Cessna 207. While flying approximately 18 miles west of Grand Junction, the engine lost power. This loss of power forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing in an onion field. During the landing, the airplane struck a pile of onions and nosed over. The pilot was not injured.
According to the pilot's report, there were 62 gallons of fuel on board at the time of the accident. The pilot reported cruising at 9,500 feet MSL using 18-19 inches of manifold pressure and 2300 RPM with a leaned mixture. The aircraft had been aloft for approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft at the accident site and noted that the airplane had been inverted prior to his arrival. Upon placing the aircraft in an upright position, the inspector found no evidence of fuel remaining in the tanks. Additionally, there were no fuel stains on the ground, no fuel dye stains on the wings, and no odor of fuel was detected in the area.
While the pilot's report initially stated he visually inspected the fuel, he later stated he did not visually check the fuel but instead "stuck his finger in the fuel tank and felt fuel." Based on the aircraft's performance charts for 10,000 feet, the expected fuel consumption at the reported power setting was between 10.3 and 11.0 gallons per hour, which would have provided an endurance of 5.3 to 5.6 hours.