What happened
The aircraft was located resting on a magnetic heading of 320 degrees in a grass field situated roughly 1/4 mile west southwest of a private airstrip. There was no evidence of fire at the scene, and no ground scarring was observed in the area surrounding the aircraft's final position.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose section and the leading edges of the wings exhibited a crush angle of approximately 45 degrees. Investigators established continuity for the rudder, elevator, and aileron flight controls, noting that the elevator trim was set to the neutral position.
Upon inspection of the fuel system, the carburetor bowl and accelerator pump contained no fuel. Only a single drop of liquid was observed when the fuel line connected to the carburetor was disconnected. Furthermore, there was no liquid present in either of the aircraft's fuel tanks. At the time of the investigation, the engine tachometer indicated 1,900 rpm. The airframe had most recently undergone a 100-hour inspection on June 26, 1996.