Narrative
The pilot, who had not flown for over 90 days, was practicing landings before flying with passengers. While climbing from a touch-and-go landing, the engine lost power at about 250 to 300 ft above ground level. The pilot saw only a river ahead and attempted to turn back to land at the airport. He stated that he dropped the nose to maintain airspeed but was unable to keep from hitting trees. The aircraft was destroyed by impact with the trees and the ground.
Investigation
During the post-accident examination, the fuel selector was found positioned halfway between the left and right positions. No fuel was found in the fuel strainer or fuel lines forward of the firewall. When the fuel selector was moved to either the left or right position, fuel flowed freely, but no fuel would flow in the intermediate position. The investigator noted that when the flaps were selected, the fuel selector could easily be bumped. Additionally, the detents on the selector were weak and the selector could easily be moved.
Compliance and Notes
AD 85-05-02, Amendment 39-5912, was not complied with; however, if it had been, it would not have prevented this problem.