Incident Narrative
During cruise flight, the airplane's engine ceased producing power. The pilot executed a forced landing, bringing the aircraft to a stop in a salt-water marsh. The pilot was ferrying the aircraft to another airport to have maintenance performed on the fuel selector valve, which was stuck in the auxiliary tank position. The auxiliary fuel tank was not full prior to departure. About 30 minutes into the flight, the auxiliary tank exhausted its fuel supply. The pilot was unable to move the selector valve to the main tank position, which still held fuel. The aircraft crashed approximately 12 miles short of the destination airport.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination of the fuel selector valve mechanism revealed that set screws on the selector valve shaft had loosened. This allowed the selector handle to be moved without repositioning the valve itself, thereby preventing the pilot from selecting the fuel in the main tanks. The loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation caused by the auxiliary tank running dry and the pilot's inability to switch to the main tanks. Additionally, Federal Aviation Administration records indicated that no ferry permit had been issued for this flight.