Background
The pilot reported that, the day before the accident flight, he had refueled the airplane to full tanks (60 gallons of fuel), performed a runup of the engine, and conducted a local flight around the traffic pattern to troubleshoot an electrical issue, which was later resolved.
Accident Details
On the day of the accident, during the preflight inspection for the cross-country flight, the pilot visually observed that the fuel level was approximately two gallons shy of full. About 2.5 hours into the flight, after switching fuel tanks multiple times en route, the pilot switched to the left main fuel tank to prepare for landing. About 4 miles south of the destination airport, the engine lost power. The pilot reported that the airplane was too low to reach the airport, so he set up to land on a nearby road. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted and struck multiple signs before coming to rest.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the pilot stated he flew approximately one hour on the left tank, then switched to the right tank. He then flew approximately 1.5 hours on the right tank, then felt some buffeting (engine sputter) and turned the boost pump on and switched back to the left tank. This occurred about 23 miles southeast of the destination airport.
In a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC, the pilot stated that the total flight time on the day of the accident was about 3.1 hours, and that there were no preaccident mechanical failures that he knew of. He estimated the fuel burn at about 14 gallons per hour and noted an estimated headwind of about 17 knots during the accident flight.
Aircraft Information
The pilot operating handbook for the airplane states that for the 56-gallon tank configuration, at 75% power, the airplane has an endurance of about 3.7 hours.
Post-Accident Examination
During a post-accident examination by the FAA inspector, both fuel tanks were found empty with no usable fuel onboard. No fuel leak indications were observed at the accident site.