Incident Details
According to the pilot, the flight departed at approximately 1845 with a planned stop en route for personal matters. The pilot arrived at the intermediate stop around 1950 and departed again at about 2015. Upon reaching a cruising altitude of 7,500 feet, the pilot estimated the remaining flight time to the destination as 2 hours and 25 minutes based on GPS calculations.
During the descent to the destination, at 5,500 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing in an orange grove located 1 mile west of Highway 27, 14 miles south of the intended destination. After touchdown, the airplane skidded approximately 200 feet before the nose gear separated, and the aircraft nosed over.
Post-Accident Observations
No fuel was observed leaking from the wings following the accident, and there was no post-accident fire. An inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right wing fuel cap was not fully secured and exhibited fuel streak stains. The pilot reported that when he had topped off the fuel before departure, he noticed a blue fuel dye residue on the wing. The pilot stated that he is almost certain he ran out of fuel; however, he believed he should have had enough fuel to reach his destination.