Flight Sequence
The student pilot reported that prior to departing from his home airport on a cross-country flight, the airplane's fuel tanks were full. During the flight, the pilot perceived a "weird sound" from the engine and decided to land at a nearby airport. After landing, an engine run-up and magneto check were performed, revealing no problems. The pilot then continued the flight.
On the return leg to the home airport, the engine lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing in a vacant field. The Hobbs meter recorded the total flight duration as 3.2 hours.
Post-Accident Inspection
At the accident site, the fuel strainer was removed, and no fuel was found. During recovery of the airplane, no fuel was observed in the wing fuel tanks.
The engine was examined on January 16, 2008. The spark plugs were in new condition with light gray deposits. The magnetos produced spark at each terminal and were timed to the engine. A thumb compression test was performed, and continuity through the engine was confirmed. An external inspection of the engine also failed to find any mechanical problems.