Flight Details
The pilot departed on a cross-country flight of 615 nautical miles, which was expected to take about four hours and fifteen minutes. He reported having about five and a half hours of fuel on board and had received a weather briefing before departure. Marginal visual flight conditions were anticipated en route to the destination.
In-Flight Events
During the flight, stronger than expected winds added approximately 10 minutes to the flight time. About 50 miles from the destination, the pilot began a descent from 9,500 feet, with a solid cloud layer below. He contacted air traffic control and received an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance for an approach to the destination airport. As he broke out of the clouds, he determined it was too late to land at the airport. At that moment, the engine quit. The pilot switched fuel tanks and the engine restarted.
Air traffic control asked the pilot if he had sufficient fuel to reach an alternate airport located about 44 miles away. The pilot responded that the right fuel tank showed one-third full. About 3 miles from the alternate airport, the engine quit again, and this time the pilot was unable to restart it.
Forced Landing and Damage
The pilot elected to conduct a forced landing on a road. During the landing, the airplane's horizontal stabilizer impacted a signpost, causing substantial damage to the airplane.