What happened
During en route flight, the aircraft experienced a total loss of power due to engine failure. This critical event compelled the pilot to initiate an emergency landing procedure. As the aircraft approached for final approach, it went out of control before impacting the ground in a field situated in Stanton Harcourt, west of Oxford. The impact resulted in damage beyond repair to the airframe. The pilot was injured in the accident.
Findings
Investigations determined that the engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion. A key contributing factor was a malfunctioning fuel gauge that remained stuck at an indication of one-quarter tank, despite the fuel reserves being completely empty.