Flight Plan
The pilot planned a flight from Ramona, California, to an undisclosed destination, with an intermediate stop at Porterville. The total distance was 396 nautical miles, and the en route flight time was projected at 4 hours and 6 minutes.
First Leg and Stopover
The first leg to Porterville was uneventful. The pilot and passenger had lunch at Porterville. No fuel was added to the tanks during the stop.
Power Loss
During the second leg, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes after departure and while nearing the destination, the engine began to operate as though it was "starved for gasoline." The propeller continued to rotate; however, the engine failed to produce thrust.
Emergency Landing
The pilot performed an emergency landing on a meadow. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted trees.
Post-Accident Observations
Responding rescue personnel reported no fire and no smell of fuel at the scene. An aircraft recovery service that retrieved the wreckage reported that no fuel was found in the aircraft at the accident site and that the vegetation surrounding the wreckage was not dead.
Examination
An aircraft and engine examination, which included a detailed look at the fuel system components, revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or failures. The aircraft was equipped with standard range fuel tanks with a total usable capacity of 38 gallons.