Incident Overview
A private pilot was concluding a cross-country flight and had entered the traffic pattern to land. While on the base leg, the pilot applied carburetor heat, reduced power, and extended the landing flaps because she believed the aircraft was too high. On final approach, she extended additional flaps. Upon this extension, the airplane began to decelerate and descend rapidly. The stall warning horn activated, and the airplane rolled to the right.
Pilot Actions
The pilot responded by applying power and forward elevator pressure on the control yoke. However, the engine did not respond to the throttle application. During this process, the pilot lost sight of the airport. Shortly thereafter, she performed a forced landing.
Investigation Findings
An on-scene investigation revealed that the right wing fuel tank contained approximately 1 gallon of fuel, and the fuel selector was positioned on the right wing fuel tank. The left wing fuel tank was approximately 3/4 full.