Accident
During a preflight inspection, the pilot perceived the fuel tank to be about half full. After departure, while climbing through approximately 1,300 feet above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned back toward the airport and initially selected a field for a forced landing, but then realized the airplane could not glide that far and chose a closer field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over, resulting in damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
Investigation
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tank contained about one gallon of fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he had misread the fuel gauge during the preflight inspection. The loss of engine power was consistent with fuel exhaustion.