What happened
The flight departed Santa Monica Airport at 0830 for a local flight. At 0926, the pilot called from downtown Los Angeles requesting permission to land at Santa Monica. At 0928, the pilot reported engine trouble while three miles east of a VFR reporting point and stated he had to come down. The aircraft wing struck the roof of a house in a densely populated residential area before coming to rest in the street on top of two cars.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed that there was no fuel in the line to the carburetor. The fuel selector was found positioned on the right tank, which was empty. The ruptured left tank contained approximately 2 gallons of usable fuel. Firemen estimated that an additional 2 gallons had flowed out of the system.
Findings
The investigation determined that all fuel on board the aircraft was usable. However, the pilot failed to select the correct fuel tank for landing. The right tank was dry, and the left tank, while containing some fuel, was not selected. This mismanagement led to fuel exhaustion during the critical phase of flight.
Safety message
Pilots must ensure that the correct fuel tank is selected prior to landing, especially when operating from unfamiliar airports or during complex traffic patterns. Regularly checking fuel quantities and selector positions is essential to prevent in-flight fuel starvation.