What happened
A private pilot was conducting an 874.6 nautical mile cross-country flight that departed at 0900. The aircraft's fuel tanks had been topped off with 90 gallons of aviation fuel prior to departure. While in cruise flight at approximately 1530, about 10 minutes from the intended destination, the engine lost power.
The pilot performed a forced landing into a field covered with mesquite. The Cessna (type not specified in source) sustained structural damage during the impact. Both the pilot and the passenger were not injured and were able to exit the aircraft without assistance.
Findings
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft at the accident site and found that the fuel cells were empty. The pilot stated that he ran out of fuel, noting that he had relied on a fuel computer calculation which indicated 14 gallons (approximately 1.1 hours) of fuel remaining at the time of the power loss. The pilot noted that the engine power loss could have been prevented if a fuel burn rate of 13 gallons per hour had been used and flight endurance had been restricted to a maximum of 6 hours.