On September 8, 1996, at 1655 central daylight time a Cessna 182, N5401B, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing. The pilot reported a loss of engine power and attempted to reach the runway, however landed short of the runway. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight which departed at 1530. An examination of the airplane after the accident revealed only unusable fuel in the tanks. The aircraft flight manual for the accident airplane indicates usable fuel as 27.5 gallons, additional usable fuel of 1.5 gallons (for level flight only), with 1.0 gallon unusable in each of the wing tanks. When the airplane was leveled the engine was started and no anomalies were indicated. The pilot stated that his most recent biennial flight review was on October 17, 1995; however, his personal log book indicated it was on June 17, 1994. After the accident he obtained a biennial flight review on September 29, 1996.