Narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane was approximately 7 nautical miles from the destination airport and descending through 5,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when the engine rpm dropped from 2,500 to 1,000. After about 20 to 30 seconds, the engine completely stopped. The pilot made several attempts to restart the engine, but they were unsuccessful. Subsequently, the pilot performed a forced landing in an open field.
During the landing roll on the rough field, the nose wheel collapsed. Both the left and right wings contacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The pilot noted that fuel was leaking from the overflow valve.
Post-Accident Observations
Local authorities responded to the scene and found the airplane positioned nose down with fuel dripping from one tank. They moved the airplane back onto the main landing gear, after which the fuel leakage stopped. The authorities reported that the amount of fuel leakage was small, likely less than 1 gallon.
An Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic who recovered the airplane to the airport reported structural damage to the left wing and the firewall. The mechanic drained approximately 1 cup of fuel from the left fuel tank and 1 gallon of fuel from the right tank.
Engine Test
Three days after the accident, the mechanic added 3 gallons of fuel to each tank, started the engine, and performed a static run-up. The engine started and ran with no discrepancies noted.