Accident Overview
The pilot radioed that he was running out of fuel while being vectored for landing. The ceiling was about 900 feet with 5 miles visibility. The accident occurred in a level grass field. Witnesses heard the engine cutting out, and a loss of control occurred before the aircraft impacted the ground.
Flight Plan and Fuel Status
The flight plan showed 4.5 hours of fuel, and the accident occurred approximately 3 hours after takeoff. Raw fuel burns in the grass at the crash site indicated that fuel exhaustion did not occur. Post-accident examination revealed that the fuel selector was positioned on the right tank, and the right tank contained no fuel. There was no evidence of fuel leakage.
Pilot Background
No record was found that the pilot had satisfactorily completed a biennial flight review within the past 2 years. His logbook showed that he had 5 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight time within the past 6 months.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the fuel selector was set to the right tank, which was empty. The lack of fuel in that tank, combined with the absence of leakage, suggests the engine failure resulted from fuel starvation from that tank.