Flight and Engine Power Loss
A pilot and passenger departed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on a sales demonstration flight and landed at Falcon Field in Arizona. On the return flight, the engine lost power as the pilot began a descent from 3,800 feet. The pilot noted that there was no fuel flow and subsequently used the wobble pump, but was unable to obtain fuel pressure. He then moved the fuel selector to the left main tank, but still could not achieve fuel pressure. The pilot stated that he "tried unsuccessfully several times to restart, switching tanks, pumping the wobble pump, with the mixture rich, but was unable to restart engine."
Forced Landing and Accident
Unable to restart the engine, the pilot executed a wheels-up landing in a cotton field. During the landing, the aircraft struck an irrigation ditch. Examination of the aircraft after the accident revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to the right main tank, which contained only a trace of fuel. Some fuel remained in the left main and auxiliary tanks. No fuel was found in the carburetor. The fuel indicator selector was found positioned to the left tank position.
Examination Findings
No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found. The investigation determined that the engine power loss occurred due to fuel starvation, as the fuel selector was set to the right main tank, which had insufficient fuel for continued operation.