What happened
The aircraft was engaged in a cross-country flight when the engine lost power. The pilot was in the descent phase, approaching the destination airport for a scheduled landing. Unable to maintain altitude or reach the runway, the pilot executed an emergency landing in a nearby field before arriving at the airport. The impact caused damage to the airplane.
The investigation
A thorough on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted immediately following the accident. Investigators inspected the fuel system components and tanks extensively. The inspection revealed that there was no evidence of any fuel leakage from the aircraft's lines or fittings. Crucially, the analysis confirmed that no usable fuel remaining existed in the fuel tanks at the time of the event.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this accident was the depletion of the fuel supply. The lack of residual fuel combined with the inability to reach the airport resulted in the forced landing. The mechanical integrity of the fuel system appeared intact, ruling out leakage as a cause for the power loss.