September 18, Vail, Ariz. / Cessna 172

At about 1600 mountain time, a Cessna 172G lost engine power and was damaged during a hard landing in a field. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he had purchased the airplane earlier in the day and was flying it from El Paso to his home near Casa Grande. En route, he experienced strong headwinds and noted that the fuel supply was low. He chose not to divert for fuel, but notified Tucson controllers he was low on fuel. When he lost engine power he aimed for a clearing near a drag strip but noticed power lines when he was on short final. He pulled up and the airplane missed the power lines, but it stalled and impacted the ground hard.