What happened
The aircraft was operating on a night sightseeing flight when the engine suddenly stopped producing power. At the time of the failure, the fuel selector valve was positioned to draw from the left tank, which was completely empty. The pilot attempted to correct the situation by switching the fuel selector to the right tank, but the engine failed to restart.
The aircraft subsequently impacted the desert terrain while in a skidding attitude with the left wing low. Post-accident examination of the airframe revealed no fuel remaining in the left tank and approximately two inches of fuel remaining in the right tank.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection was conducted to determine the mechanical status of the aircraft and its fuel systems. The examination confirmed that the left tank was devoid of fuel, consistent with the selector position at the time of the engine failure. The right tank contained a minimal amount of residual fuel, insufficient to sustain flight operations.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was fuel exhaustion. The pilot failed to ensure adequate fuel supply for the duration of the flight, selecting an empty tank while neglecting to verify the status of the other tanks. This resulted in the engine stopping and the subsequent loss of control during the attempted recovery.