What happened
The pilot had previously landed at Greater Kankakee Airport with the intention of refueling the aircraft. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the fuel services at the airport were closed and unavailable for service. Consequently, the pilot decided to depart from Greater Kankakee at approximately 2105 local time to continue the flight back to Lansing Municipal Airport.
During the en route portion of the return flight, the engine quit without warning. The pilot was forced to execute an emergency landing in a nearby field. Subsequent examination of the aircraft's fuel tanks revealed that there was no fuel present in either tank, confirming that the engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion.
The investigation
Following the incident, investigators examined the aircraft's fuel system. The inspection focused on the fuel tanks to determine the quantity of fuel remaining at the time of the emergency. The examination confirmed that both tanks were empty.