NTSB Factual Report

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot stated that about 6 miles from the intended destination, the engine started to lose power and he was no longer able to maintain altitude. He setup for a forced landing on a road. He reported that during the approach he maneuvered to avoid a ditch adjacent to the road. The "controls got sloppy and the airplane subsequently stalled about 15 [feet] from the road." The right wing "dipped" and impacted a cornfield, causing the airplane to nose over. The pilot's statement noted he had departed with full fuel (216 gallons) and the flight's duration was approximately 2-1/2 hours. He expected to burn 68 - 70 gallons per hour (gph) at 162 knots. He stated that at the time of the loss of engine power, the fuel gauges indicated that one-quarter remained in the left fuel tank and one-eighth remained in the right fuel tank. He reported that after the engine initially lost power it would regain partial power for short periods of time. He added that he did not suspect an engine problem and believed the loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation. The airplane manufacturer stated that total fuel capacity for the accident airplane make and model was 216 gallons, and that the maximum useable fuel was 210 gallons. At normal cruise, the expected fuel consumption would be approximately 70 to 75 gph, at 155 knots. At high cruise, fuel consumption would be expected to be approximately 83 - 84 gph.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to accurately monitor fuel consumption during flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation/exhaustion. A contributing factor was the cornfield encountered during the forced landing.