What happened
During a dark night, a private pilot and a passenger were performing a takeoff from runway 3 when the engine lost power at approximately 100 feet above the ground. Because of the insufficient altitude, the pilot was unable to successfully restart the engine. The airplane subsequently impacted trees in a nearby wooded area.
Prior to the flight, the pilot had operated the aircraft for approximately one hour using the right auxiliary tank. After that flight, the pilot landed and picked up a passenger for the subsequent departure. During the takeoff sequence, the pilot performed an abbreviated checklist that included verifying the position of the fuel pump and the fuel selector. The pilot believed the fuel selector was set to a main tank.
The investigation
An FAA aviation safety inspector examined the aircraft following the accident. The inspection revealed that the fuel selector was positioned on the right auxiliary fuel tank, which was found to be empty. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions present in the engine or fuel system.