Incident Summary
During a flight in clear air and level flight, the engine failed at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The pilot attempted to switch the fuel selector to one of the two remaining full fuel tanks, but the selector would not move.
Pilot Actions
The pilot made repeated attempts to move the fuel selector. Eventually, a pair of pliers was used to try to switch the fuel tanks. Despite these efforts, the selector remained stuck.
Landing and Damage
A forced landing was executed on a snow-covered rolling field. The landing was made uphill. During the landing roll, the left wing contacted a fence post.
Pilot Remarks
After the incident, the pilot expressed the belief that frozen water in the fuel selector valve was the reason the selector would not move.