Incident Description
During a descent through 3,000 feet MSL for landing, the fuel-injected engine suddenly lost power. The pilot, believing one of the aircraft's fuel tanks had been depleted, switched fuel tanks and attempted to restart the engine without activating the fuel boost pump as specified in the airplane flight manual. The engine did not restart, and the pilot executed a forced landing.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that the engine lost power while the aircraft was descending. Thinking the fuel in one tank was exhausted, he switched to another tank. He did not use the fuel boost pump during the restart attempt, contrary to the manufacturer's procedures.
Post-Accident Examination
The aircraft impacted a berm during the forced landing and was substantially damaged. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical deficiencies. The aircraft had a history of previous discrepancies with its fuel system, but those had been resolved prior to the accident.
Fuel System Findings
Evidence of some usable fuel was found in both fuel tanks. Approximately 55 gallons of fuel had been consumed since the last refueling; the aircraft holds 60 gallons of usable fuel. No standing fuel was found in any of the engine fuel components. According to the airplane manufacturer, the 'critical attitude' for determining usable fuel quantity is 'nose down.'