The pilot was in the process of diverting to a field short of his intended destination because of impending nightfall on a planned cross country flight when he sustained a loss of power due to fuel starvation. He performed an emergency descent and landing to a clear furrowed farm field, but as he got closer to touchdown, he realized his choice of landing into the wind put his landing roll across the furrows, and the airplane sustained a nose over. Post crash investigation revealed the normal fuel source had been exhausted, but fuel remained in the reserve compartment of the fuel tank.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

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