Incident Overview
During a night flight lasting approximately two hours, the engine began to sputter and subsequently lost all power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a lightly traveled highway, which was completed without incident.
Post-Landing Events
After landing, the airplane obstructed vehicle traffic. To clear the roadway, the pilot decided to taxi the aircraft from the highway to an adjacent grass area. While taxiing, the left wing of the airplane struck a metal road sign.
Examination and Pilot Statement
An examination of the aircraft revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. No evidence of fuel leakage was found at the accident site. The pilot reported that he had been flying for about two hours and had run out of fuel; he did not refuel during the flight.
Conclusion
The forced landing and subsequent collision with the road sign resulted from fuel exhaustion. No other contributing factors were identified.