What happened
Approximately six miles from the intended destination, the engine of the aircraft began to lose power, making it impossible for the pilot to maintain altitude. The pilot prepared for a forced landing on a nearby road. During the approach, the pilot maneuvered to avoid a ditch adjacent to the roadway; however, the controls became unresponsive, and the aircraft stalled approximately 15 feet above the road.
The right wing dipped and struck a cornfield, which caused the aircraft to nose over. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot was not injured.
At the time of departure, the aircraft was carrying full fuel capacity of 216 gallons. The flight had been in progress for approximately two and a half hours. At the moment the engine power began to fail, the fuel gauges indicated that one-quarter of the fuel remained in the left tank and one-eighth remained in the right tank. The pilot noted that after the initial loss of power, the engine would intermittently regain partial power for short durations.
Findings
An analysis of the fuel consumption indicates that at a normal cruise of 155 knots, the expected consumption is approximately 70 to 75 gallons per hour. At high cruise, consumption is expected to be between 83 and 84 gallons per hour. The pilot believed the loss of engine power was caused by fuel starvation.