Incident Summary
During the final approach to land, the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot responded by activating the fuel boost pump and advancing the throttle to full, but did not switch fuel tanks. The pilot attempted to land in a field; however, prior to touchdown, the airplane collided with a tree and subsequently impacted the ground.
Fuel System Details
After the accident, the fuel tank selector was found positioned to the left main tank. The left main tank was empty. Fuel was available in the right main tank. The single fuel quantity gauge was set to indicate the fuel quantity in the right main tank, which would have shown that tank as having fuel.
Emergency Procedure and Pilot Actions
The manufacturer's emergency procedure for a power loss called for the pilot to change fuel tanks. The pilot reported that he had recently discovered water contamination in the fuel system and believed the power loss resulted from that contamination. A trace of water was drained from the main fuel sump; however, the water level in the sump was below the level of the fuel outlet to the engine, which could have allowed the engine to draw fuel without ingesting the water.