What happened
On September 23, 2012, a Piper PA-12, registration N4483M, was in level cruise flight when the engine lost power. The pilot attempted an off-airport emergency landing. During the landing sequence, the aircraft nosed over, causing substantial damage to the rudder. There were no injuries resulting from the accident.
The investigation
The pilot reported that the right fuel tank had been exhausted. Upon the loss of engine power, the pilot switched the fuel source to the left tank, but the engine failed to restart.