NTSB Factual Report

On March 5, 2012, about 1430 central standard time, a Piper PA-22-150, N6849B, experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot subsequently made an off airport forced landing to a field near East Troy, Wisconsin. The certificated private pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the flight that departed from Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport (3D2), Ephraim, Wisconsin, destined to Burlington Municipal Airport (BUU), Burlington, Wisconsin.

The pilot stated that the airplane was fueled at BUU and had 44 gallons aboard prior to departure. After about 1:40 hours of flight time, he landed at 3D2. He then departed for BUU and after about 1:15 hours of flight time, the engine quit. He positioned the fuel selector to the left fuel tank and the engine restarted and then ran for about 30 second and quit. During the descent for a forced landing, the engine was able to be restarted using "short bursts" by hand pumping the accelerator pump and the primer pump. The airplane landed short of the field that the pilot planned to land on.

Examination of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that none of the airplane fuel tanks contained usable fuel, and there was no evidence of fuel leak.

The pilot's flight review was expired at the time of the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.