Accident Details
A private pilot with 375 hours of flight experience departed Kerrville Municipal Airport after requesting the line crew to "top off" the fuel tanks. The line crew indicated that both tanks had been filled, but the pilot did not visually check the fuel level before departure. On the return flight from Lampasas Airport, while near Mountain Home, Texas, at approximately 2,800 feet above ground level, the engine briefly ran rough and then lost power. The pilot observed that the fuel gauges showed "one needles width above empty" and attempted to restart the engine. When the engine failed to restart, the pilot elected to land in a freshly planted field. The touchdown and initial landing roll were uneventful, but the nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted.
Fuel and Engine Examination
After the wreckage was recovered to a secure location, the fuel system and engine were examined. The engine was successfully run for 30 minutes, and no anomalies were found that could have prevented normal engine operation.