Accident Summary
During a flight, the engine lost power while the aircraft was over a residential area. The pilot identified a small opening surrounded by a fence and attempted an emergency landing there. The pilot reported that the aircraft touched down nosewheel first and then skidded into a cyclone fence.
Fuel Selector Findings
Following the accident, investigators examined the aircraft's fuel selector and found it positioned to the right tank. The right fuel tank was empty, while the left tank still contained 18 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector position indicated that the engine was drawing fuel from the empty right tank at the time of power loss.
Pilot Background
The pilot stated that he had previously trained in Cessna 150 and 152 aircraft, which do not require manually changing fuel tanks during flight. He noted that in a cruise situation, the thought of switching fuel tanks never entered his mind. The pilot had a total of 97 hours of flight time, with only 5 hours in the make and model of the accident aircraft.