What happened
The pilot-in-command of a Piper PA-18 reported starting the engine with the fuel selector set to the right tank position before switching it to the left tank. The pilot stated that the pre-flight run-up and the subsequent takeoff were completed with the selector remaining in the left tank position.
Following the flight, the aircraft underwent a forced landing on soft muskeg. During this landing, the aircraft nosed over.
The investigation
An examination of the fuel selector mechanism revealed that the selector was actually in the off position. On this specific model of the Piper PA-18, the fuel selector consists of a large handle and a small pointer; for correct operation, the pointer must align with the selected fuel tank. Investigators found that while the large handle was positioned on the left tank setting, the small pointer was pointing to the off position.