What happened
During cruise flight, the aircraft experienced a loss of power in the engine. The pilot performed the necessary emergency procedures but was unsuccessful in restarting the engine. Consequently, the pilot elected to ditch the airplane into the Pacific Ocean approximately 2 miles offshore. Following the rescue of the pilot, the aircraft sank to a depth of 20 feet.
The investigation
Upon retrieval, investigators found that both wings and their respective fuel systems remained intact. The left wing fuel tank was empty, while the right wing contained approximately 15 gallons of a mixture of fuel and ocean water. Although the fuel selector valve handle was set to the right tank, the valve itself was positioned toward the left tank. An examination of the fuel selector valve shaft showed that it had become rounded. Records indicated that an annual inspection had been completed 16 flight hours prior to the accident.