What happened
The pilot departed Albuquerque, New Mexico, flying to Las Cruces and Silver City, New Mexico. On the return leg from Silver City back to Albuquerque, the pilot was cleared to land on runway 3.
While descending over Belen, New Mexico, the pilot switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank. Approximately 8 miles southwest of Albuquerque, the engine began to cut out. Although the pilot activated the boost pump in an attempt to restore fuel flow, the engine stopped completely shortly thereafter.
Unable to reach the airport, the pilot directed the aircraft toward an open sandy area on top of a mesa and executed a forced landing 6 miles from the runway. Upon touchdown, the aircraft settled into the soft ground, causing the nose landing gear to be torn off and resulting in the airplane nosed over. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the accident site and reported that fuel was still present in the fuel tanks.