On November 13, 1997, at 1730 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N8886J, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing due to fuel exhaustion. The private pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed from Pueblo Memorial Airport, Pueblo, Colorado, en route to Willmar Municipal Airport, Willmar, Minnesota, when it landed in a farmers field, 6.2 nautical miles from the Willmar Municipal Airport. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed but no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that he had departed Pueblo, Colorado, at 1100 mountain standard time. He had intended to land at Imperial, Nebraska, for fuel but instrument weather conditions precluded him from landing. The pilot reported that he continued to fly to his destination airport at Willmar, Minnesota. He reported that there were "no holes in the clouds" between Nebraska and Minnesota. The pilot reported he was flying at 11,500 feet mean sea level. When he was about 30 minutes from Willmar, Minnesota, he radioed a Flight Service Station. He started a descent into instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot did not possess an instrument flight rating. The pilot reported that the engine failed once. He switched fuel tanks and the engine started. The engine failed again a short time later when the airplane was about 300 feet above ground level. The pilot executed a forced landing into a farmer's field. The pilot reported that he "should have just used my GPS and went in on runway 10 before I ran out of gas."