Preflight and Departure
During the preflight inspection, the private pilot, who had accumulated 305 total flight hours, visually inspected both fuel tanks. He estimated that the fuel quantity would be sufficient for two hours of flight plus a twenty-minute reserve. The pilot then departed.
Mission
After departure, the pilot climbed to 5,500 feet to act as an air traffic relay station in support of helicopters operating in the Gulf of Mexico. No further details about the mission or its duration were provided in the source.
Power Loss and Forced Landing
Upon completion of the mission, while the airplane was descending back to the originating airport, the engine lost power. The pilot elected to land in a marshy field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position.
Post-Accident Examination
When the airplane's wings were removed for recovery, no fuel was present in the tanks. The tachometer reading recorded by the pilot before takeoff was 770.9 hours and was noted as 773.2 hours at the accident site. The total elapsed time between the two readings was two hours and twenty minutes.