According to the pilot, he was flying a 400-nautical mile cross-county flight.

He reported that the outside air temperature along the route had been hot. He recalled that the engine temperature had been high and, "I increased the mixture to cool the engine down multiple times."

As he approached his destination, the engine began "coughing for 3-4 minutes" before the engine stopped. He attempted to land at the destination airport, but unable to reach the airport, made a forced landing in a mud filled drainage channel, about .5 miles north of the airport.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and windscreen.

A Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Inspector examined the airplane's fuel system at the accident site. He reported that both fuel tanks were found empty, with about ½ cup of fuel at the bottom of the left tank, after removing the sump drain.

Per the National Transportation Safety Board's Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented with the, "Use of [a] fuel dipstick for better measurement of fuel quantity".

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.