What happened
The pilot was operating a cross-country flight from Arlington, TX, to Bentonville, AR. Prior to departure, the aircraft had been fully serviced with fuel. While the aircraft was cruising at 8,500 feet during the return portion of the flight, the engine lost power.
In an attempt to restore power, the pilot activated the emergency fuel pump and switched fuel tanks before turning the pump off. However, the engine failed to restart. The pilot subsequently performed an emergency landing on rough terrain approximately 3 miles from the airport. The aircraft sustained damage during the landing, and there were no injuries reported.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft following the accident and found that the fuel selector was positioned to the left main tank. During the landing, the left wing was damaged, which caused an estimated 35 gallons of fuel to drain from the left tanks. Upon inspection, no fuel was found in the right-side tanks. A post-accident check of the engine revealed that it operated normally following only minor repairs.