Accident Overview
A pilot who had landed in a soybean field to participate in a dove hunt decided to fly to another field near a restaurant for breakfast. At approximately 1000, he initiated a short field takeoff. Climbing to about 100 ft above ground level (AGL), the engine quit without warning. The pilot maneuvered to avoid trees along the takeoff path, but stated that he did not have sufficient speed remaining to complete a roundout, resulting in a hard landing.
Post-Accident Examination
Following the accident, investigators found approximately 9 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank and about half a pint in the right tank. The pilot stated that the takeoff was performed using the left tank. Subsequently, the engine was primed, started, and run using the aircraft's fuel system from the wing attach points to the engine; it operated normally. The fuel selector was also tested and functioned correctly.
Fuel System Observations
The significant fuel imbalance—9 gallons in the left tank versus negligible fuel in the right—suggests that the fuel supply was drawn exclusively from the left tank during the takeoff. The successful post-accident engine run indicates that the engine and fuel system components (aside from the quantity or distribution of fuel) were capable of normal operation.