In a telephone conversation with a National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator,
the pilot reported that while on the left downwind to land on runway 21, he was cleared to land and
started to configure the airplane. He opened the cowl flaps, fuel mixture was full rich, and the propeller
was full forward. The pilot stated that it was when he was abeam the approach end of the runway that a
total loss of engine power occurred. He switched fuel tanks from right to left and turned on the electric
fuel pump, attempted to restart the engine, but to no avail. Concerned that he would not make the
runway, he elected to land on a highway, which is adjacent to the east of the airport. During the landing
roll the right wing impacted a pole, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest
inverted. The pilot also mentioned that two trips prior to the accident flight, he added 29 gallons of fuel.
Subsequent to having egressed the airplane, he observed fuel leaking from both tanks.