NTSB Factual Report

The 954-hour private pilot was on a 24-mile ferry flight when the single-engine airplane lost engine power, approximately 3.5 miles from the destination airport. According to a written statement, the pilot reported that he switched to the left fuel tank and turned on the electric fuel pump, and the engine began to "run again." The pilot elected to climb to 1,500 feet and headed directly to the runway; however, approximately 2 miles from the runway the engine lost power again. The pilot made a mayday call and prepared for a forced landing in an open field short of the airport. During the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained structural damage. Prior to his departure, the pilot reported that the fuel gauges were showing 13 gallons of fuel in each tank; however, he did not visually check the fuel amount. The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident scene, examined the airplane and found no fuel in the airplane's fuel lines or tanks.

NTSB Probable Cause

The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain available to the pilot for the forced landing,